Comfort In Surreality
by Mellow Penelo
Summary: After a series of chance encounters, and one of Kisame’s more capricious decisions, a pink haired girl has become Akatsuki's newest tool. What? He’s the one that has to deal with her? Damn it, he really should have paid more attention in that meeting.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N** - This story is semi A/U. I really had to butcher and then completely rewrite my summery (and I was really proud of this one), so here you go.

"**After a series of chance encounters, and one of Kisame's more capricious decisions, a pink haired girl is the newest tool at the Akatsuki compound. With Hidan performing bloody rituals in the backyard, Itachi being… well, Itachi, Zetsu giving mixed messages and Sasori commenting that she'd make a great doll, Kisame is finally considered normal. Unfortunately, he's also getting attached to the normality …or is it the girl?"**

Anyway, this story stems out from a what-if encounter that could have happened. And by _could_, I mean only in fanfiction. So we begin with the young immature Sakura and a 23 year old Kisame (hey, I'm allowed to make him younger!).

I write this for my own amusement, and hope you enjoy the story.

**.Disclaimer. **

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Chapter One.

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Pebbles tumbled down the dirt slope and a pink haired kunoichi hopped down to the dirt path below. She made her way towards the ocean, kicking more pebbles as she walked.

'_Stupid Kakashi-sensei!'_ She thought bitterly, _'Saying all those things! He was probably just saying them to make Sasuke mad…'_ Sakura frowned at the thought. _'Why did Sasuke have to get mad about it, anyway? It was supposed to impress him!'_

Kakashi had been preparing them incase his suspicions about Zabuza's death were correct: that the Missing-nin was actually alive, and possibly working with the hunter-nin that took him. So Team Seven was to train their chakra control. They simply had to walk up a tree. Kakashi-sensei had made it sound so hard, and at first she was a little unnerved about the idea.

Though, it was easy.

Incredibly easy. Sakura had walked up and down that tree like it was a runway. She instantly noticed that Sasuke and Naruto had a hard time doing it, so that made it all the sweeter. Naruto cheered her on, but she could tell he didn't really mean it. That's why she didn't like him! He would just act nice. Jerk. Though, he was getting a bit more tolerable…but still.

Then she had looked to Sasuke, but he just looked mad! So that put a damper on things…

But that wasn't all. Kakashi had to go on and belittle Sasuke! Well, he belittled Naruto too, but who doesn't?

"_The Uchiha Clan isn't great as I thought, either." _He said. _Why_ would he say that? It was like he was _trying_ to make Sasuke hate her!

They had trained together a little longer, Naruto even asked her for help. If only Sasuke had asked her. That would have made her day- no -_week_. She was so good at chakra control that Kakashi sent her to protect Tazuna, the old bridge builder.

Her shoulders drooped into a sulk. Normally she would have been happy…. After all, it was her that Kakashi had deemed fit to move past the practice and actually do the mission they were assigned. She should have been beaming with pride. But she wasn't, her mind was stuck on one thing.

Sakura kicked a pebble in self-pity. If only Sasuke hadn't reacted the way he did. Why couldn't he have looked at her as if she was the most beautiful women in the world, and dropped to one knee and proposed?

That wasn't too much to ask, was it? Alright, he could have at least given her a compliment and asked for some advice. Though, Sakura was starting to understand that Sasuke would never ask anybody of anything, especially help. He was just strong like that, she supposed. Though, she was sure he _would_ have, if Kakashi-sensei didn't rub it in his face. Jerk.

Sakura came to the edge of the forest, right by the ocean. She could see the bridge branching off the island and reaching towards the mainland. The breeze brushed against her, the air salty and cool. She walked on the sand for a bit. Her feet sunk into it, the fine gravel sliding into the soles of her sandals. Sakura looked at the foam left behind by the ocean and watched as the waves brought up white drift wood and left it on the shore. She looked around for any shells or other marine novelties she could take back home.

Her stomach began to growl. As easy as the actual point of the training had been, they had been doing it for a couple of hours. Her chakra was low, she felt drained. She wondered how Sasuke and Naruto could keep going at it like that. She was a little bit jealous of Naruto. Well, she was still better than him.

Her nose caught the sent of roasting fish drifting in the light ocean breeze. The roasted meat mingled in the salty air, making her mouth water. She figured a quick pit stop wouldn't hurt. She got back on the dirt path, away from the shore and followed it to see a pier. There were a few fishermen out and a couple big transport boats in the distance.

Sakura found a small cart that stood on the wooden planks of the pier but stayed rather close to the sloping sand. It was a yakizakana stand. A few stools stood in front of the cart. The cart held the grill and a washed-out plank for a counter top. There was a big blue tarp stretched out on four poles surrounding it. The tarp gave a cool blue shade around the area.

Sakura plopped down on one of the stools. An old man greeted her with a cheery smile.

"What would you like, Miss?"

Sakura looked over the menu and found one within her price range. Though, it required the fish to simmer in the sauce first, which could take a little bit… Oh well. She ordered the dish with a smiled and watched him get to work. He pulled a fish from a small row beside him and marinated it in a saucer filled with black rich smelling sauce.

"It'll be at least 15 minutes, is that alright, Miss?"

Sakura thought so. Though… maybe she should order something else… Eh, Tazuna could wait a bit.

"That's fine." Sakura said with a polite smile.

"Anything to drink?"

"A water, please." Sakura's gaze shifted to the ocean. The waves gently lapped at the white shore, the water a beautiful clear teal. The sun was warm, though the light seeping through the tarp gave off a cool ambience and painted her skin a light blue. The breeze gently lifted her pink hair and cooled her skin. Off the horizon drifted great puffy clouds, making them look like they were resting on the ocean. It would be nice to live here…

A clear plastic cup of water was placed on the counter, a neon pink straw sticking out. Sakura thanked the old man and he turned his back to her to retrieve a plate. Suddenly two cloaked men sat down on the stools beside her, blocking her view of the clear ocean.

Sakura let out a soft gasp. They had been so quiet she didn't even notice them approaching! The man sitting next to her was incredibly large. He looked taller than Kakashi, making her feel incredibly small and a bit intimidated. She couldn't even see the man on the other side of him; well, maybe it was a woman then…

The old man turned around to ask her something and let out a little cry of surprise. Sakura couldn't help herself from letting out a giggle. Imagine serving a young girl and then turning around to find two cloaked men.

"What would you like?" The man asked a bit nervously. He seemed to be intimidated too…

"A mackerel, please," Said a deep, but muted, voice. A man…yes, definitely a man. "And a Kiwi Ramune."

The man beside her placed his hands on the counter. His skin was painted a much richer blue than her own. He had large hands, and navy nails. He also had on what looked like white arm warmers with blue trim, much like Sasuke's.

Sakura tried to be inconspicuous about looking up to see the face of the man beside her. But he was so tall; she practically had to turn her shoulders to look at him. He of course noticed, and in turn, looked over to her. Sakura gave a warm smile.

She couldn't see his face. The collar of his rob was too high, and reminded her of her old classmate, Shino. On top of that, he wore a straw hat from which hung strips of white cloth, further shrouding his face in the shadows.

Sakura turned back to see her fish still simmering in a small metal pan that was set over the grill. She could feel the man's gaze on her; it made her feel nervous and awkward. The way you would normally feel when forced to be with a complete stranger. But this stranger… he was incredibly daunting, and Sakura didn't think she could strike up a conversation about the weather if her life depended on it.

"And you, sir?" The old man asked, and Sakura felt the gaze pull away from her. It was only when Sakura let out a soft whoosh of air, that she realized she had been holding her breath.

He motioned to her fish simmering in the dark sauce. "Two of that." His voice was deep, and a tad raspy.

"I'm sorry this young lady just ordered the last one, and with it the last of the misosake sauce." The old man said regretfully.

Sakura felt the man's gaze fall back on her like a physical weight. Sakura slowly looked up to meet his covered face; the wind blew the white strips of cloth around his face. Sakura briefly wondered if she should give him the fish…

"Sorry," She said sheepishly, a hand lightly scratching behind her ear. That was her favorite dish, and no cloaked giant was going to take it from her, damn it. And Tsunami's cooking was a bit bland… bless her heart.

"Then two salmon." The giant said, a bit of annoyance clear in his voice.

Sakura sipped her water and wondered how much longer it would take… Her eyes drifted back to the ocean, this time to her left; the other side being blocked by the black cloaks. She could see a giant crane on the bridge and the village near it. She had yet to actually go into the village, maybe she could have found another restaurant there…

Sakura turned back and noticed that the two men weren't talking to each other. That was kinda weird… Maybe it was because she was there… The man beside her looked at her again, and she didn't know quite what to do. She was beginning to think there was something on her face, or maybe her hair was still all messed up from training.

Sakura began to smooth out her hair and hoped she didn't smell. Maybe the smell of the fish would cover up whatever post-training smell she had.

"Why's your hair pink?" The man asked, his tone curious. At this question the other man leaned forward to look at her. He was a lot shorter and probably could see her just as well as she could see him.

"Uhh…" Sakura really wasn't expecting them to talk to her… "Genetics. My grandmother's hair was pink…" She was actually rather proud of her hair. Plus, it took attention away from her forehead.

The question disarmed her and she didn't feel so out of place and the big man didn't seem so intimidating. The shorter man sat back and she could see him no more. Which didn't really make a difference because he wore the same garb the other man did.

"Aren't you hot in those robes?" She asked before she thought about it. But once the question was out, she figured he asked her a question, so she got to ask him one too.

"Not really." He said with a shrug. With the movement the collar shifted and Sakura could see his jaw. It was a hard and angled line. The blue tint on his skin was so much darker than her own, she noted again.

"Hmm." Sakura murmured, sipping at her water again. Her thoughts began to drift to Sasuke; they tended to do that regardless of any situation. What could she do to get on his good side? Apparently outdoing him didn't do…but neither did under doing him… Though she would like to be under him, doing him.

Sakura's face suddenly flushed a deep red and her eyes widen at the thought. She made a little strangled noise and covered her face in embarrassment. As if the people around her had known her thoughts. She felt the gaze of the man come back to her and she tried to pretend not to notice.

It wasn't the first time her thoughts shifted to kissing Sasuke and all those things a boyfriend and girlfriend do. Heck, she wanted to marry him, bear his children. All she had to do was make him see how perfect they were for each other. That she was different from all the other girls. He was just so irresistible, with all his amazing qualities. Like…

…

He was gorgeous!

Yeah. He was so mysterious and unattainable, which made him _so_ appealing. She absently wondered what Sasuke would have been like if he was polite and outgoing like…like… Actually, now that she thought of it, none of the boys in her class were polite and outgoing. Some were outgoing, but brash and loud. Others polite, but quite and boring. However, Sasuke…

Ever since his brother killed the clan he turned into that calm, strong and a silent type. While that was all good and well, Sasuke would be rather spectacular if he was more outgoing and affectionate. Stupid brother of his; thanks allot for _that,_ _Itachi!_ If she ever met him she would give him a piece of her mind!

Oh well. What was done was done, and she would have to be the one to show him how to love again. She could see it now, it was spring and the trees would be full of cherry blossoms. The sun would be setting into the ocean and she'd be wearing a beautiful gown and she would have the most womanly body. And he would come and see her and he would just drop on one knee and declare his love for her and-

Sakura's straw was torn from her mouth and her glass of water was sent flying as blur of green flew by. There were shouts and laughs and a rush of small children running by after the green blur. Sakura watched as the old man ran from behind the cart shaking his fist at a group of children already running on the shore after a green ball.

The stool beside her rasped against the ground as the man stood up and she saw that he really _was_ a giant. The sheer size of him was incredible and Sakura now knew what ants must feel like.

She looked at the giant and saw that her water had spilled all over his lap.

"I'm so sorry!" She gasped out frantically in perfect unison with the old man. Neither was shouting out of courtesy alone.

"Damn kids…" The giant muttered, clearly irked. He reached for a sword leaning against the counter. The sword was enormous, bigger than her! It had been placed between the two men, out of her sight. The pummel was a miniature skull and the handle was a golden weave of brass. The actual blade was wrapped up. It reminded her of Zabuza's and she briefly wondered if the three men and the fake hunter-nin were in league…

The giant was about to pick up the sword when the other man spoke up.

"Kisame-san." His voice held no tone and all he said was the man's name, but Sakura couldn't help but get the vibe of an old brother chiding the younger. "It's just water."

Kisame… Sakura rolled the name over in her mind. Shark Demon…? What a strange name…

Kisame left the sword on the counter and the old man let out a sigh of relief. He sat back down on the stool and picked up the pink straw that floated around in a small puddle of water. The old man grabbed a rag and wiped up the water, apologizing to Sakura and Kisame.

Kisame.

What an interesting name… Sakura wanted to say it, to hear it again. It was sharp, yet smooth on the tongue. She watched as he twirled the straw in his fingers and then handed it to her.

Sakura wasn't quite sure what to think, but she smiled warmly all the same as she took it. Was he really going to pick up that sword and go after those kids? Were they really in league with Zabuza? Sakura turned back just as the old man placed another water before her.

She put the pink straw in without a thought and took a sip.

She sputtered and made a face at the taste. "What is this?" her mouth was scrunched as if she had sucked on a lemon.

"That's the gentlemen's, Miss! Straight shochu." The old man said.

Sakura's mouth dropped in embarrassment. She had just taken a sip of a complete stranger's drink!

"I'm so sorry!" She gasped out for the second time that day. Her face flushed and a hand covering her mouth, she was mortified.

Kisame just reached for the glass and held it to her, the straw pointed at her.

…Did he… want her to take another drink…?

"I don't do pink straws." Kisame said and Sakura could hear the smile in his voice.

Sakura couldn't help but laugh. The image of the cloaked man sipping from a pink straw was just funny. Well, the fact that a cloaked black figure was at the beach was just a little bit silly.

So she laughed. Sakura took the straw with a wide smile, and placed it in her mouth.

Her dish had yet to be served but it smelled so good. Though, maybe she shouldn't have waited… But she had already been there for a little longer then 15 minutes. What's a few more minutes? But she really should have been protecting Tazuna by then…

What if something happened to him? What would Sasuke think?

Sakura frowned, but the fish looked so good now that it was roasting on the grill and it was really big…

Maybe if she waited another minute and took it…? No, Tazuna would know she stopped somewhere to eat and would probably tell Kakashi. She might get in trouble… Why did she order the longest cooking dish?

'Cause I'm delicious…' The fish seemed to call to her.

'_No! Fight it! You need to go protect Tazuna and impress Sasuke!'_ Before she could change her mind Sakura grabbed one of the onigiris that came with the meal and turned to Kisame.

"Would you like it?" She asked as she got off the stool. "You wanted this dish, didn't you?"

"Why don't you want it?" Sakura didn't catch the suspicion in his voice.

"It took a lot longer to cook than I thought it would-"

"I'm sorry, Miss." The old man cut in.

"Oh, don't worry about it." Sakura brushed aside easily "I have somewhere to be, and I wouldn't want it to go to waste."

Kisame still seemed suspicious and Sakura noticed that the other man was already leaning forward watching her. Sakura nibbled on the edge of the pink straw.

"Aww come on, I already paid for it," She said with a grin "You're a guy, you can't resist free food."

At this point Sakura conjured up the image of Kisame suddenly pulling back the straw hat and cloak to reveal a huge brutish woman, and then beating her with that massive sword. Sakura sincerely hoped this wasn't the case.

Kisame reached for the dish and nodded at her.

Sakura stood there for a second and he turned back to look at her. Sakura realized that he wasn't going to say thank you.

"Umm…okay, then…hope you enjoy. You're welcome." Jerk. Sakura turned and headed down the street, her onigiri in hand.

Man, why are people so inconsiderate? It's not like saying thank you was that hard a thing to do. Oh well. She wondered if Sasuke was still training…

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To Be Continued.

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**A/N.** Thanks again for reading, guys. The fic will go in segments for three or four chapters and then have a steady timeline.

What do you think of Sakura's characterization? Here she's still young, naïve and a snob. We all remember that right? Anyway go press the little purple button and review!


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N** – I want a soft pretzel.

**.Disclaimer.**

* * *

.Chapter Two.

* * *

Sakura leaned on the railing of her balcony, looking out at the wreckage that was Konoha. Her eyes skimmed across the gaping hole in the eastern wall, pausing at the new frame work that was being built. Her gaze swept over the city streets and the rooftops, it seemed as if the whole village was out and about repairing their homes and business. The sound of hammers pounding away murmured through the air, mixing with the usual rustling of leaves and twittering of birds.

She looked over to the monument, looking straight at the Third's visage, tracing the scar that had broken over his nose. It was hard to believe he was gone… Sakura hadn't been any closer to him than the other Genins, but he had always been kind to her and the thought that she'd never see him again was…

For living in a shinobi village, this was the first time that Sakura had to deal with the death of someone she knew. It might sound odd, but at the tender age of twelve, Sakura had been fortunate enough not to lose anybody precious to her. Her family was composed of average citizens. Her father was an accountant. Her mother was a teacher at the school for civilian children.

Therefore her family didn't really have many shinobi friends to ever mourn for. They did pay their respects of course, but it was never really anything personal.

At the academy death was glorified. It was honorable. It was a part of the shinobi way of life. A year before graduating, each child sees a physiologist on how to handle it. Sakura remembers her session quite clearly, and she supposed it served its purpose. However, it didn't really prepare her for the sense of… incomprehension.

It was so odd to think that, in a sense, people just… _disappeared_. About a week before the final matches, she was buying groceries for her mother and the Third was walking through the streets; as was his custom. He was buying his own groceries and together they searched through a box of peaches. He asked her about her training, she asked him about the exams. Naruto came up, and both expressed a soft affection in their words that instantly linked them.

After helping him pick out the freshest peaches (apparently it had been a while since he bought his own groceries), they bid a friendly goodbye. It felt so unsettling to realize that it had been a permanent one. That she would never see that person again, speak to him, interact with him. His life was over.

How could someone be alive and be gone the next?

In some ways it just didn't make sense. Where did people go when they died? Did they just cease to exist? Leaving only a shell of a body behind? What was life then…? Sakura sighed.

She supposed that the Hokage was lucky, he had an amazing life, so many accomplishments, so much honor and fame. The entire village loved and looked up to him. It made Sakura think about her own life, her own accomplishments, and instantly her brows dipped in sorrowful shame.

Sakura was officially the weakest member of Team Seven. Something inside her told her she always was, but she didn't want to think too much about the beginning. Instead her mind went over the Chuunin exam.

She had been fine in the first part of the exam; heck, she aced it. Well, sort of.

She didn't want to admit that she hadn't caught on that the point of the test was to cheat. But she hadn't needed too, so it didn't occur to her. Actually she finished in record time.

There was no denying she was smart. Book smart. She could deal with a strategy on paper, with a hypotheses on jutsus, calculating the speed, trajectory and distance of a thrown kunai, or even make a proper graph on it. But never once did she apply those skills to life. So effortlessly, she debunked the entire point of learning them.

Sakura gripped at the railing. If only she was like Shikamaru. Sakura shook her head in amazement, just remembering his feats of intelligence. She learned more about him in a single day, than she did in the seven years of knowing him. At the academy she wrote him off as Ino's boring friend. Even by the time she should have grown out of that view, she still looked down at him, at his grades. He was nothing compared to her perfect marks.

He was a nobody to her, despite the many times he had let it slip that he was at least on par with her intelligence. Looking back, she remembered so many moments she should have picked up on it. The time she was assigned to help him catch up on his paper work or when they were partnered together for the mock-missions.

It was only now that she realized his tendency to keep her after school for hours, make her so frustrated with him that she finally did the assignments herself, was all just a tactic. That he had always found cleaver strategies to go through the missions as quickly and easily as possible. Instead of seeing it for what it was, Sakura just called him lazy, thought he was a good-for-nothing boy.

One of the most shameful things had been when she thought he would run out on Naruto and her while they were pursuing Gaara.

It was only now that she remembered that time she was looking for Ino, and despite his obvious reluctance, Shikamaru spent the whole day helping Sakura find her. That on the few occasions she didn't know the answer to Iruka-sensei's questions, he would occasionally whisper it from behind her. When Ino was sick for a week, and Sakura was too shy to talk to anyone else, Shikamaru had kept her company everyday. He made conversation and jokes while she stuttered with watery eyes.

Back then she had completely disregard all this and thought nothing of it. It made her think off all the other qualities she missed about the people around her. It was like she didn't see them. Any of them. Only one.

Her mind flew back to herself. She was rude. Immature. Sakura was a mean person in general. Her mind flew to the person she had constantly took it out on.

Naruto. She looked at him with such scorn. Completely judged him.

All the times she made fun of him, called him names, when she was outright cruel to him. At one point, Sakura sincerely thought that he was out to get her or something. She squeezed her eyes shut in shame, as if willing it never to have happen. Her mind went back to Wave Country, even when he had showed quick thinking and determination, she didn't see it. In fact, she still had the gall to look down on him.

In the Forest of Death… everything changed… And it wouldn't be till many years later that Sakura would realize just how much.

From the very beginning her attention was on Sasuke, her goal to impress him. She was still looking down at Naruto then, and what happened? They weren't even in there half an hour before the got attacked by a Sannin. A _Sannin. _A Missing S-class criminal.

She remembered how Sasuke had been terrified. Screaming at her to run. On one hand, she was glad that for once, she saw the situation exactly how it was. But on the other, the only thing she could do was cry for Sasuke to protect them. Sakura couldn't do anything herself.

It was _Naruto_, who saved them. Sakura had never been so happy to see him in her life. She felt outright jubilation looking up at him, standing there, with his arms crossed and that cocky smile on his face. Then once again her heart plunged into horror when that massive snake was summoned. She could only watch as that snake was careening towards Sasuke, and it was Naruto, who shot out of nowhere and stopped the snake with nothing but two kunai.

The only thing her mind could do was question, when did he get so strong? How in the world did Naruto get so strong…? Sakura sighed, maybe if she had paid more attention to him, she would have noticed…

She remembered screaming at Sasuke that he was coward, which is the only thing she wasn't ashamed of. Whether it was seeing Naruto's strength, or Sakura's desperate cry, or maybe a combination of both, whatever it was, Sasuke fought that guy. And no matter how hard Sakura tried, her eyes couldn't keep up with them.

She always knew Sasuke was strong, but his moves were unreal. But he couldn't keep up with a Sannin. When she had looked down to see Sasuke at that guy's feet, her heart had stop, fear streaming through her blood like shards of ice. Even then all she could do was watch as that guy advanced on Sasuke.

Luckily Sasuke was on top of it and flew into another barrage of attacks. Then she was so sure that Sasuke had beaten him, she let her guard down completely, and _frolicked_ over to him.

It was then, like a rokurokubi, the enemy's neck extended and he _bit_ Sasuke. That was one of the most disturbing and terrorizing things she had ever seen. Sakura placed a hand at the base of her neck, a shiver of disgust running through her.

During that entire fight her nerves had been shot with terror. Everything about that guy put her on edge. When he swallowed the scroll whole, the way his body coiled around the thick branches, when his tongue wrapped itself around Naruto, suspending him in the air, even the overly affectionate way he spoke…

Orochimaru. His name alone made her cringe with disgust and her stomach drop with dread. A _Saanin_. Sakura still couldn't wrap her head around it. They were practically legends, their strength spoken of with nothing but awe at the Academy. Naruto and Sasuke managed to impress one of those people…

And all she could do was watch and pick up their pieces.

She still didn't understand what had happened to Sasuke. Her mind ran over how he squeezed her hand as he cried out in pain, and all she could do was call for Naruto.

It was then that she experienced the most crippling fear imaginable. When she looked to realize that Naruto was still knocked out, that Sasuke was completely incapacitated, it hit her that they were depending on her.

Terror gripped her like a snake, crushing the breath out of her lungs. The only thing between her comrades and danger, was _her_. That was the longest night of her life. Her entire body was tense, her eyes frantically swiveling between their still bodies and the darkness outside. She griped a single kunai the entire time, as it was her life line.

Then when the enemies she hoped against _hope_ wouldn't show up, did, there was nothing she could do about it.

Of all people, Lee showed up. Lee.

Someone who she had been rude too, someone she disregarded. He didn't even have an obligation to protect her, just that he said he would. She had completely ignored the statement when he said it, judging him on his looks. Had she always been that superficial? How long had Sakura been surrounded by amazing people and never took note of it?

Sakura folded her arm over the railing and cradled her head, the other hand running and pulling at her hair in frustration.

In the end though, Lee was simply out numbered. He was really hurt because he chose to protect her.

Then three people were depending on her.

When that girl was ready to scalp her, Sakura could only wonder how it had gotten to this point. Wondering if she had always been this weak. When that girl taunted her, about caring more about her looks than her training, Sakura realized she was _absolutely_ right. And her friends paid for it.

It's an overwhelmingly bitter disappointment, a harrowing pain that fills when you realize you've not only let yourself down, but the people you care for...

"Sakura!" A voice sang out to her from the street bellow.

Sakura looked down to see a blonde haired girl waving cheerfully to her. Ino. A soft affectionate smile found its way on Sakura's face. Without delay, Sakura vaulted over the rail and landed beside Ino gracefully.

There was one thing she was thankful for, Sakura had gotten her best friend back. Ever since the exam, their friendship had been rekindled. Though, it wasn't where they left off, because both had changed, and too much had happened. Sakura didn't think their friendship could be back to the way it was.

But Ino was back, and that was enough.

"What are you up to, Forehead?" Ino asked cheerfully. Their rivalry couldn't be forgotten, but it had turned playful instead of malicious.

"What do you have in mind, Pig?" Sakura said easily. Outgoing friends were perfect when you just didn't want to think about life anymore.

"Oh, nothing special." Ino shrugged, leading them down the street "How about lunch?"

Sakura walked beside her. "Yeah, that sounds good. No training for you today either?"

"Nope, Asuma-sensei gave us the day off. But I think he just had a date with Kurenai." Ino said slyly.

"Really?" Sakura asked interested. Ino had always been good for gossip, and just about everything else. Sakura suppressed a sigh, this was another person she disregarded, no someone she completely threw away. Sakura harshly bit her lip in bitter regret at all the time she had lost with her best friend.

They made their way to the commerce side of Konoha. Mothers were shopping for families, venders called to potential customers and cooks fanned the smell of their foods into the streets. There wasn't a cloud in the sky and the sun shone brilliantly, warming Sakura's skin.

"Let's get some dango." Ino suggested. Sakura agreed and they walked into the small establishment.

Sakura noticed two men sitting at a table. This wasn't very peculiar, because all genders were allowed in the restaurant. But they wore long black clocks and straw hats. They were familiar.

Though their cloaks were covered in red clouds, she knew it was the same two men she saw in Water Country. Because really, how many people walked around like that?

Besides, the taller of the two men had a familiar sword strapped to his back. Sakura looked at them as she followed Ino to a table. Ino sat with her back to the shorter of the men and Sakura was left to face the giant. He was looking at her.

Kisame.

If she remembered correctly (which she did), he had not thanked her when she had practically bought lunch for him. Sakura still couldn't see his face; he was a black silhouette against the bright sunlight from outside.

"What can I get for you, ladies?" The waitress asked politely, a small notebook and pen in hand.

"One serving of bocchan dango, please._" _Ino ordered.

Sakura was in the mood for something sweet. "Chichi dango, please."

"Sorry, that man just ordered the last one." The lady said, and nodded to the table next to them. Sakura looked over and saw Kisame looking at her. She felt the weight of his gaze, like a heavy cloak had been placed on her. It didn't intimidate her like last time. Those strips of white clothe fluttered around his face, making an amusing silhouette.

Despite the shadows giving nothing away, Sakura knew he remembered her. She smiled, letting him know she remembered him as well. After all, neither was very forgettable.

He looked back to his partner and seemed to be drawn into a conversation.

"Sakura, what do you want to order?" Ino asked, then looked over her shoulder to see what Sakura was smiling at.

Sakura glanced at the menu and then back at the waitress, "Um nothing, thanks." With a nod, the waitress left.

"I don't want to eat by myself." Ino complained, with squinty eyes, "I hate eating when no one else is eating."

"Don't worry, I'll get yakitori from the stand down the block." Sakura reasoned with a shrug. Actually, that sounded really good right now. Though she'd have to find something sugary to satisfy her sweet tooth later.

"Then I'll have it to go." Ino informed both Sakura and the waitress as she served Ino some green tea. Sakura watched as the waitress then took a plate of dango over to Kisame. "It's such a pretty day, anyway."

"Yeah, it is.…" Sakura murmured as her eyes wandered back to the men. Her gaze ran over the shorter one's back, tracing the crimson clouds. She never did catch his name…

They were just so memorable, and intriguing.

Sakura felt… curious. What were the chances of bumping into the same set of strangers in two different countries? Besides, looking back, the whole situation seemed so absurd and funny; she couldn't help but feel familiar towards them. Her eyes went back to Kisame for a moment, after all, she had taken a sip of his drink.

The waitress dropped of Ino's dango in a nice little carry bag. With that, the pair stood up to leave.

Sakura was mildly surprised to find herself feeling disappointed. She supposed it had to do with the fact that she hadn't gotten a chance to interact with the two men. She knew it was silly. It's not like they were even _acquaintances_. Heck, she didn't even know what they looked like. Complete strangers.

Despite what her mind was telling her, Sakura couldn't take her eyes on the pair as she followed Ino out. Right when she was about to pass their table, Kisame's nonchalantly outstretched arm stopped her, two dango sticks in his grip. Sakura's eyes stayed on the dango for a small moment. Then to his hand. Her brows dipped in confusion.

Wait blu-

"Do you want it or not?" His low voice said, calm and casual.

Sakura glanced between the shadowy face and the dango stick, once, before taking the dango sticks with both hands as if receiving an important gift. She smiled, her eyes lighting up. Sakura supposed this was the long over-due thank you.

He withdrew his hand. And Sakura stood for a second and she wondered what was beneath the cloak.

"Sakura!" Ino called impatiently, already outside.

Sakura looked forward to see Ino giving her a questioning look as she stood out in the sunlight. Sakura gave Kisame one more beaming smile and hurried after Ino.

* * *

"She didn't even say 'thank you'." Kisame remarked, feigning offense as he picked up a remaining skewer to pick at his teeth.

"What was that about?" Itachi asked. A waitress came up and gave Kisame a chance to think as she refilled their tea cups.

It was impulse really. Besides, he had already eaten seven dango sticks; he was satisfied. She wanted it, he was indifferent; it made sense to him. Then there was Wave Country, not that he gave a rat's ass about fairness, but that was probably Itachi's train of thought. So Kisame went with it.

"I don't like owing people stuff." He said with a shrug when the waitress walked away.

"You think a little pink haired girl would have one up on you? She'd ask a favor?" Itachi asked, one brow raised just a fraction.

Kisame let out a light snort, "You never know now a days." He reached to take a sip of his tea.

"She recognized us…" Itachi said, contemplating. Kisame rolled his eyes, with a smile on his face; Itachi could be suspicious about a church bake sale. Then again that paranoia had saved them on numerous occasions. One of the reasons Kisame usually listened to the kid without much ado. However…

"She doesn't see us as a threat." Kisame said simply with a shrug.

Yeah, Kisame had been accused of being reckless on more than one occasion. But really, this was little girl with pink hair. Besides, all she knew was that they happen to have the same taste in food, not exactly useful for taking down Akatsuki.

Let it also be repeated, _pink_ hair. That had to lower some of her credibility.

Itachi was quite for a moment. Most people would assume this was just usual Itachi silence, but Kisame could tell that he was sorting out various scenarios of how this girl could possibly affect them. Analyzing every point and possibility.

Itachi finally spoke in his muted voice. "I guess you can keep your little friend."

Kisame smiled, his chest rumbling with a silent chuckle. Itachi was teasing him. After years of knowing the kid, Kisame could catch the slightest lilt in his tone (not to mention that Kisame had superior hearing).

Kisame always took advantage when Itachi was in a good mood. So with an unnecessary amount of cheer and enthusiasm, he sarcastically gushed out "Aww, this is the best day ever!"

Itachi simply took a sip of his tea.

* * *

"Sakura did you just take food from a complete stranger?" Ino asked looking at Sakura as if… she had taken food from a complete stranger.

"Maybe…" Sakura said with shifty eyes as she bit into the mochiko ball. Well if Ino used that tone, she could make _anything_ sound bad.

"That could be poisoned." Ino stated matter-of-factly.

"We saw the waitress hand it to them." Sakura pointed out. Even if they hadn't she still would have taken the food, because…

"And you didn't just take it from _any_ strangers, but creepy men in black cloaks…" Ino said looking a little worried as Sakura took another bite.

"Creepy…?" Sakura thought of the blue skin she had seen. Blue skin. She couldn't decide whether she was disgusted or fascinated, but she was definitely intrigued.

"I think I've seen them somewhere before…" She added the doubt because she didn't want to answer all the questions a definite answer would raise.

"Where?" Ino asked giving her a weird look.

Sakura was about to simply answer Wave Country, but she suddenly felt possessive of the memory. That the memory was hers to look back on and laugh. She wasn't sure Ino would find it as funny as Sakura did. And would she really get why she felt familiar with them any? Sakura herself didn't get it.

She was spared having to answer and think about it when she caught sight of Kakashi walking towards them. "Hey, Kakashi-sensei!"

"Yo, Sakura." He said with the wave of his hand, his one eye half-lidded, and the sides crinkling with a smile.

"What are you up to?" Sakura asked cheerfully.

"I'm meeting someone at the dango shop on my way home." He said casually.

"Is it Sasuke?" Sakura said with way more indictment then she probably should of. But- she couldn't help it…

"Yes…" Kakashi trailed off with shifty eyes, clearly confused at her tone.

"Training?" She shot out, with a small frown. He told her there was no training today. Why wasn't she included? Her Sensei kept neglecting her and she was clearly the one that needed the most help!

Kakashi began, his tone slightly unsure now, "I just needed to talk to him, then-"

"Train?!" Sakura finally accused, pointing "Is Naruto training with you guys?" She was going to be pissed if she was left out of it. That just wasn't fair!

"No, he's doing something else…" Kakashi scratched at the back of his head, "It's a nice day, Sakura. Enjoy the sunshine." with that he walked away.

Sakura frowned. How was she supposed to get stronger? What that Sound-nin said in the forest had been true. _"People like you have no talent. They have to work harder."_

During the month between the preliminaries and the finals, Sakura did her best to train. However, she had no one to direct her. Kakashi was training Sasuke, so it made her feel much too awkward to ask him to personally train her. And Kakashi found Naruto a trainer as well.

To be honest, she felt like he kinda forgot about her… One part of her was telling her he was just preoccupied with Sasuke and Naruto. After all, _they_ made it to the finals.

But what was his excuse now?

"Since when do you want to train so bad?" Ino asked dryly, biting into her dango.

Sakura sighed, "Naruto and Sasuke are strong…" She wondered if Ino would understand, "_I_ have to be strong." She didn't want to be left behind.

"Naruto…." Ino began, her eyes narrowed in thought, then shook her head, "Yeah, I still don't get how he beat Neji. I mean- remember the time he had his pants on backwards, and Kiba called him on it, so Naruto just looked between his pants and Kiba for like a _full_ minute, before he finally just tackled Kiba to the ground?"

Sakura started to laugh. "I completely forgot about that. We were like nine, weren't we?" Sakura shook her head. "Yeah, he's definitely not that kid anymore…" With a jolt of realization her good humor left her.

Sakura was exactly the same. It seemed as if everyone was growing, and she was the same person she'd been back at the Academy.

Sakura glared down at her feet. She needed to _change_. "Ino, lets go train."

"What? You crazy? It's our day off." Ino said with the wave of her hand.

"I need to get stronger." Sakura said stomping her foot. In her subconscious she noted that _that_ was immature, but it didn't really register. Well, one thing at a time.

"You can get stronger tomorrow." Ino said rolling her eyes. Then with sudden knowing look and a teasing smile, she added,

"Sasuke's not going anywhere."

* * *

.To Be Continued.

* * *

**A/N** – Hey everyone! I need Sakura to mature a little sooner than she did in canon, so that's way most of this is her realizing what a little snot she was.

Let me know what you think about the chapter. What needs improvements, what's just right, any lines you liked, if anything look out of place, you know the whole spiel.

Oh, and I forgot to warn you, but I hate instant love. So do not expect that here. Sakura and Kisame got a _long_ way to go. Should be one more chance encounter till we get the ball rolling.

By the way. A rokurokubi, is a monster from Japanese folklore. Basically it's a person (usually a woman) who can extend her neck. Probably where Kishimoto got the idea for that freaky deaky technique.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N** – It's a long one.

**.Disclaimer.**

* * *

.Chapter Three.

* * *

Sakura shook out a pair of pants, sand scattering over the tiled floor. She meticulously folded them, doing her best to optimize the space in her small backpack. Almost done, she twisted them in just the right way to send a pile of sand falling to the floor like the hiss of a snake.

"Gah…" Sakura let out with growing frustration. She dug into the pockets, leaving a tiny desert at her feet. She folded it again, no where as neatly as before, and moved on to the next article of clothing.

It was a mesh shirt, so there was little trouble. However, the next shirt proved to be more tedious than the pants. After a few shakes, Sakura realized that the cursed little grains were _embedded_ into the weave of the cloth.

Did Sakura ever mention how much she hated sand? If not, let it be known now. Sand is a bitch.

It gets everywhere. In her hair, her mouth, in her eyes, behind her ears, between her fingers and toes, under her finger nails, it just stuck to her skin in general. There were a few times that Sakura thought she was getting freckles from the sun, only to realize it was just sand.

Not to mention the fact that the sand around here was constantly airborne. The sand pelted into her skin and face and rammed into her eyes. It wasn't even funny. At first, Sakura _was_ laughing because it was just ridiculous how hard the wind blew. Hell, Sakura had seen small animals and on a few occasions children get lifted by the wind (not to worry, the children were always grabbed before they got badly injure. Maybe a little scuffed up and a tad traumatized, but nothing severe).

Of course, the wind did provide relief to the heat, which otherwise would have been absolutely unbearable. The times the wind did finally die down, Sakura felt like crying at the sudden intensity from the rays of sun. It was like being submerged in a hot bath. Fully clothed.

However, despite the inhuman terrain, and the fact that a village never should have been place in the middle of a freaking desert in the first place, Sakura was sad to leave.

The village had its charm. When it hit dusk, it became the most beautiful and welcoming of places. The sky turned a warm lavender, cooling the burning heat of noon. The streets lit up with lanterns, filling up with people from all walks of life. Restaurants and booths opened up, the smell of delicious food drifting into the cooling air. It had the energy of a carnival every night, children running around, families up and about shopping and laughing.

A sad smile eased onto Sakura's face as she looked through her report, making sure all the papers were in proper order. She picked up the envelope; a rustling told her that sand had found its way in there too. Sakura let out an exasperated sigh as she tilted it to the floor.

"Need some help?"

Sakura turned to see a red-headed boy standing in the doorway. His face held little emotion, his mouth in a neutral line, his bows slightly dipped in questioning.

"Hey, Gaara." Sakura smiled widely, "Yeah, at the rate I'm going, I'll be bringing a pound of sand back to Konoha." She shook out another pair of pants. Instead of the sand pelting the tiles, it drifted lazily in the air, like dust, then floated over towards Gaara's open palm.

This boy was not the same one from the Chuunin exam. After a little catalyst called Naruto interfered, Gaara… How could the change that took place possibly be described? Well, it was amazing what could happen in a little over a year.

When Sakura had first heard the rumors about somebody being sent to Wind Country, the first image that came to mind was a monstrous Gaara. A single image of one crazed green eye and the other, a deadly focused gold and black.

Yes, she had heard about how he saved Lee, how both his siblings had saved dear friends. However, the very idea of a benevolent Gaara was a hard idea to grasp at the time. And frankly, Sakura was just glad that she was too busy with training to ever be assigned a diplomatic mission.

Because almost every memory of him had been terrifying. His battle with Lee was one of them. Sakura was shocked and could only watch with awe as Gaara battled without even _moving_. Gaara had almost single-handedly crushed Lee's hopes and dreams with the clench of his palm. If that wasn't enough, Naruto had told her about the incident in the hospital. And the monster she witnessed firsthand emerging from his body. She was glad she didn't ever see his complete transformation. Sakura didn't need more material for her nightmares to work with.

But the boy that killed to validate his existence was gone. Now, there was someone searching for something else, for what Naruto had found.

And as fate would have it, Sakura was sent. Whether because she was the Hokage's assistant, therefore knowing the inner workings of politics, or because she happened to be quite the efficient ninja, or because Shisho thought she need a break from the near constant training. Whatever it was… Sakura was glad.

Not because she got to help in the hospital, share a few of the new techniques in her arsenal, or because she helped recreated a new, more efficient system for the paper work and taxes, or even because she got to travel and live in a different village and value the differences between her own. Sakura was glad because she was a witness.

One of the jobs pawned off on her in the beginning was dealing with all of Team Gaara's paperwork. The citizens, the advisers, everybody at the time was still rather tense and uneasy about being in the same room with him. And honestly, so was Sakura. Though she did think she hid it well, being as smiley and unprovoking as possible. She made quick friends with Kankuro. His casual candidness reminded her of Naruto, making her feel more at home, more welcomed.

Temari intimidated the hell out of her. While the blond was rough around the edges, Sakura learned that the serious girl was actually rather agreeable. It took a while for both Sakura and Gaara to warm up to each other, but Sakura couldn't help but feel that he was trying.

Gradually as the days passed, as their meetings became more frequent, more casual, she witnessed his progress day by day. She saw the way his eyes softened when Kankuro would bring him lunch. The way his mouth lifted ever so slightly when Temari would fuss over a smudge of ink on his cheek. The way the tension in his shoulders would ease when Sakura would gave him an honest smile.

Yes, he was still very guarded with his words, placed physical distance when someone (usually Sakura) would step, lean close enough to make him nervous. Sakura would admit that a lot of the time, she wasn't really sure what to say to him. So she just said whatever came to mind, told him about her day, a joke or a funny story that had happened. He seemed to appreciate that.

And then one evening, Gaara was the one telling her about his day, and telling her about the latest scheme or otherwise stupid thing Kankuro had done. And Sakura really looked forward to seeing him each day, or anxiously awaited when their Team would get back from a mission. Sakura earnestly considered them friends.

Though, she couldn't help but feel that Gaara was one of those people-you-liked-much-more-than-they-actually-liked-you, but Sakura didn't mind. Besides, Kankuro (who she couldn't help but confined her silly worries in) said that Gaara just gave off that vibe, and that the boy actually liked her very much.

There was a moment of silence as Sakura watched sand drifted out of her backpack, even out of her hair and the clothing she was wearing. She turned to him to give him an easy grin. His muted voice interrupted her.

"There're rumors that they're considering me to be the next Kazekage."

Sakura gasped with delighted surprise. "No way!"

Gaara nodded, observing and deciphering her reaction, as was his manner.

Sakura couldn't help but grin at him. Yeah, he had definitely come a long way. "Well? Are you excited?" She asked looking at his stone face.

Really, a good majority of the time, Gaara expressed as much as a white wall. Though Sakura had enough excitement for the both of them

He shrugged. "They're just rumors…" He looked away for a moment, then back at her. His jade eyes pierced though her with a sudden desperate intensity, "What do they _mean_?"

Her brows dipped at the loaded question. It was her turn to observe and decipher. His posture was suddenly tense, his brow heavy over his eyes and his mouth in a firm line.

Sakura spoke resolutely and calmly "It means they want you to protect them."

"That's what Kankuro said." He murmured to himself, glancing at his feet.

"You don't believe him?" Sakura asked curiously.

"It's not that… It's just…" He struggled with the words, running a hand through his hair before letting out a soft sigh. "Yeah, it _is_ hard to believe." He sent those piercing eyes up at her again, "Don't you think?"

"I would've once." Sakura said truthfully, with a soft smile, "But not now. It's… Well, actually, I think I should've seen it coming."

"Because I'm strong?" Gaara asked as he tossed a ball of sand out the door and sat down on her bed. While his tone was almost sarcastic, his eyes locked on her, telling her, almost begging her to tell him differently.

Strength _is_ a major factor in electing the strongest shinobi in the village, she almost said. Though she didn't think Gaara would appreciate the joke right now. Actually the way his eyes bore into her, his attention focused intently on her, showed he desperately wanted there to be another reason why.

"You know, at one point, Orochimaru was going to be the Hokage." Sakura began calmly.

Gaara's eyes narrowed at that, whether with surprise, or confusion, or even annoyance at an indirect answer, Sakura wasn't completely sure. But she went on.

"Because he was the strongest."

Gaara's eyes looked down at his feet, and Sakura hurried to her point before he drew the wrong conclusions. "But," She said with a lighter tone, a disarming smile "When it was found out how evil he was, how selfish and power hungry, the title was given to someone more worthy.

"They expected great things out of the Kage. Most of all to do what's best for the village, what's best for his people. If you become Kazekage, it means that they trust you with their lives. Trust you to not only protect them, die for them, but to _live_ for them. This village will become your precious people."

"My precious people…." He repeated his voice barely more than a hoarse whisper, his eyes wide.

Sakura gave him a serene smile. Man, she wished Naruto was here to see this. That she could somehow tell him herself about Gaara's progress. He'd be so proud (Not to mention a tad jealous that Gaara beat him to the punch).

He sat on her bed in silence for a moment, thinking about all the true implications of being chosen as Kazekage. And Sakura quietly went about arranging the sand-free clothing into her bag.

Man, it was ridiculous how much jubilation was flowing through her right now. It was just- everyone, _his entire village_ was acknowledging Gaara's efforts, his success. Something about that just made her heart swell.

Maybe one of the reasons Sakura was so glad, so damn happy that Gaara had changed so much, was because it meant so could she.

"Hey!"

They turned to see Kankuro standing in the doorway, holding a wrapped package in his hand.

"Hey, Kankuro!" Sakura replied equally as enthusiastic. Kankuro ambled into the room, and leaned again the bedpost beside Gaara.

"Did Gaara tell you?" He asked with a grin.

"About Kazekage? Yeah! We were just talking about it." Sakura said easily, the room full of lively comradely. Kankuro and Sakura always had that effect when they were together. Even in his pensive mood, Gaara quietly, but greatly, relished it. Like always.

Kankuro didn't get enough credit for being discreet, but it was at this point that he exchanged a glance with Sakura over Gaara's head; all without losing any of the jovial atmosphere he brought in.

Sakura read his apprehensive look clearly and give him a subtle nod. He was asking how the Kazekage conversation went. He had one with Gaara prior, and was still worried how his brother felt about the whole thing.

But with Sakura's nod, his worries melted away, and he moved on to the next thing that was on his mind. "You should stay another week, Sakura."

Sakura grinned, wrapping a glass jewelry box (a souvenir for Ino) in one of her shirts. "I gotta get home, Kankuro. Besides, you know I gotta leave with the team I came with."

"You didn't stay with your team while you were here." He dismissed with the wave of his hand, "We'll send you an escort back to Konoha."

"I got training to do, new techniques to learn." Sakura said crossing her arms with mock-sternness.

Kankuro shrugged. "I'll teach you to work with puppets; you got the chakra control for it."

"I don't really think that's my thing, Kankuro." Sakura said, remembering when Temari and herself tried to set up a joke on Kankuro using his puppets. It backfired severely. Kankuro and Gaara were greatly amused. Temari and Sakura were traumatized.

"What's that?" Sakura motioned to the package in his hands.

"Oh, here." He said rater unceremoniously and lazily extended his arm.

Sakura reached out for it, her brows dipping in intrigue. Gaara and Kankuro watch as she ripped the brown paper in silence.

Setting the shredded paper aside, Sakura held in her hands a picture frame. There it held Kankuro, Temari, Gaara and herself.

It was the four of them in Sakura's temporarily office, eating fast food. Kankuro's head in the foreground, being the one taking the picture, a silly grin on his face. Temari was sitting cross-legged on the large desk, a carton in her hand, food in her mouth, and clearly protesting about the picture being taken. Sakura sat behind her desk with a caught in headlights look, and chopsticks in her mouth. Gaara was leaning over her-- looking at the papers on the desk a moment before-- looking calmly at the camera.

"Why did you pick this one?" Sakura laughed.

"Cause Temari looks ridiculous in it." Kankuro said with a smirk.

Sakura laughed again, and sat down next to Gaara so he could see. The corner of his mouth lifted just the slightest.

"You'll visit, won't you?" Gaara asked her in his usual muted tone.

Sakura gave him a shining grin. "Course."

"Gaara-san." A Chuunin appeared outside the window, crouched down. "You're summoned to the tower."

Gaara nodded, and the Chuunin was gone. He glanced at Sakura, his eyes boring into hers. "Take care."

Sakura nodded, "You too." And with a nod to Kankuro, he dissolved into a million grains of sand and was gone.

"You think they're going to tell him?" Sakura asked excitedly, packaging the last article of clothing.

"They'll just officially tell him that he's considered for the job. It'll probably be another year before he's officially the Kage." Kankuro said knowingly, and then grinned "He's so young."

"Yeah, he's _my_ age." Sakura said with realization. She hadn't even considered that earlier. A thirteen-year-old, and he was considered for Kazekage.

"Hey, thanks for talking to him about it. I know it was buggin' him." Kankuro said, a hand on the back of his head. "I tried to talk to him, but I'm just not so good with that kinda stuff. I mean, Temari's the one that usually deals with emotions and junk."

Temari was currently in Konoha, part of the massive, but delicate, treaty that brought Sakura to Suna. She had left a few days ago.

"You're such a guy." Sakura rolled her eyes, her smile still present. "You better get used to dealing with emotions and _junk_. There's going to be times when neither Temari or I will be here."

"Yeah, I guess I'll have to get good at it."

"Yeah you will." Sakura carefully placed the picture frame in her bag. "And thanks for the picture, I really like it."

"Good. Sorry I can't see you off, I gotta go see what's going on over at the tower." Kankuro said truly apologetic.

"Don't worry about it." Sakura told him easily.

Then Kankuro glanced at her grain-free clothing "I don't know why you bother, you'll just pick up all the sand again."

"At least this way I'll _start out_ comfortable."

"Good luck with that. I grantee, you won't be 15 minutes before you have twice as much sand back on you ." Kankuro laughed.

"Probably." Sakura admitted, shaking her head.

Kankuro looked out the window at the stretch of blue sky, his eyes turning serious. "Storm season was late this year. So if you guys see some trouble, don't get ahead of yourselves, alright? The weather can change pretty quickly."

"Don't worry, we'll be fine."

* * *

Sakura left with her team at the appointed time. The sand village was already sinking behind them into the horizon.

"How'd your part of the mission go?"

Sakura turned to a blond, brown-eyed girl. She was a new Chuunin; the kind that like to admire their new vest every 20 seconds. Sakura found her own vest a tad cumbersome with its thick padding. Especially in this climate.

"Good, you, Eriko?"

"We were doing some regular missions, picking up the slack." Eriko said with a shrug. Apparently she had been hoping for something more exciting.

"You hung around the tower most of the time, right? Heard you were dealing with their strongest shinobi and all?" A Chuunin by the name of Kyo asked. He sent Sakura a playful grin.

"Yeah…" Sakura gave him a sheepish smile, then shrugged it off "Nothing too impressive. Just helped with paperwork, and did a lot of work in the hospital."

"We could've used your medic skills on our last mission." A rookie Jounin name Ametsu said. "There are a lot of rogues around here. Me and Kenshi were just delivering a scroll to one of the feudal lords and Kenshi nearly lost his arm."

"Savin' your ass." Kenshi muttered. He was the leader, eldest and most experience of the group.

"Come on! You didn't see that guy till the last minute either!" Ametsu defended, but his eyes were lit with good humor.

Sakura smiled, listening to their banter fondly. Half wishing she could join in on the conversation. But while they reminisced, relived stories and repeated inside jokes, Sakura could only nod and smile, not having been there for any of it. The only real interaction she had with them was when they traveled together over three months ago. Any rare bump-ins during that time had only consisted of sparse small talk.

In fact, even back in Konoha, it was becoming very rare for Sakura to be part of a team. There was always work to be done in the hospital, techniques to learn from Shisho. The few times she was assigned as a medic to a team, she always felt like the odd one out.

It wasn't as if anyone deliberately tried to exclude her, it was just…

There was always something in the way Team Ten attacked, anticipated each other's actions, reactions, and impulses, _constantly_ held each other before themselves.

Something about the way Team Eight worked, interacted and read the slightest facial movement, body language, heard the slightest cadence in a single word, truly listened to what each other was saying, and _wasn't_ saying,

Something with the way Team Eleven put up with each other, aggravated each other, yet in the next breath fought so fervently for each other.

Something that made all those teams have an unshakable _faith_ in each other.

It was something that made Sakura miss her team so much, and at the same time wonder if they even had that something to begin with.

It was a closeness, a bond that really only came from growing up together. Training and learning together. It was something that Sakura understood that Team Seven may never have, and maybe never really had a chance to attain.

Now, Sakura, Naruto, and Sasuke weren't growing together. They weren't learning how to fight together. They weren't learning to read each other, or foresee each other's movements. Actually, it was quite the opposite.

Naruto was out there, somewhere, with Jiraiya. He was training to develop his own strength. Honing his massive chakra reserves, calming that wild fury of energy and power. He was learning his own techniques, growing without her. Seeking to keep a promise to her, an oath to himself.

Sakura was left at home. Frantically trying to catch up with the Naruto that left her. Fearing that when he came back, she would still be leagues behind him. That he was dwarfing her leaps of progress with inhuman bounds.

Sakura mended shattered bodies back together and broke others apart. She studied every strategy and technique she could get her hands on. She was obsessed with becoming an asset instead of a burden.

And Sasuke was gone. Completely out of her reach…

Sakura shook her head and tried to concentrate on the chatter around her. That subject was too painful for her. It was a wound that was still trickling blood, and as hard as she tried, she couldn't heal it.

Sakura wondered what would have happened if he never left. Where they would all be. Would they have that something that held all the other teams together? Something that made them know each other's minds better then they knew their own?

But that notion seemed so ridiculous now. It seemed almost impossible, like a foolish dream to keep hoping that one day they would be as close as the other teams. As painful as it was to admit, the fact was that Team Seven were all strangers to each other.

Sakura knew very little about Naruto's past. What had happened to his family? What else did he want other than acknowledgement? She didn't even know his birthday. It was little things that she felt she should have known about her teammate. While Sakura could anticipate Naruto's reactions, more often than not he ended up surprising her. Perhaps because she was still trying to erase years of underestimating him, still trying to put her faith in him. She did have faith in him, but it wasn't unshakable.

Kakashi had always been a mystery. Yes, Sakura could read Kakashi's mood and facial expressions, despite that mask he wore, and she wasn't just talking about the fabric one. But moods and emotions didn't mean anything if you couldn't see the thought process driving it. Sakura simply had trouble deciphering what he left unsaid.

She did admired Kakashi greatly, but ultimately, after Sasuke left, he seemed to disappear too. He buried himself in A-class missions, even a few S-class. She rarely saw him anymore. Sakura couldn't help but feel utterly left behind by him too.

And Sasuke?

Without a doubt she wanted him back. There was something in her mind driving her, telling her that if Sasuke came back, it would be like it was before the Chuunin exam. When things were simple, and perhaps they could start over, develop that something. Yes, it was foolish and every time she thought of it, she shoved it to the back of her mind. And it was there that it slept in her subconscious.

Because, there _had_ been a time when Sasuke put his teammates before himself, when Sasuke would risk his life for them. When he was selfless. Now…

Sakura could really only cling to the idea of the boy she knew. She knew that everyday that passed, he was changing, growing away from both her and Naruto. Growing away from them in every way that could possibly matter. He became more of a mystery to her than Kakashi. Yes, Sakura knew _why_ Sasuke left. But she still couldn't justify his reasons or be satisfied with them.

Sakura shook head again, clearing the dark fog that gathered. She hated that her thoughts always turned back to Sasuke, it was a hard habit to break. But she could have some pride that what she did now didn't revolve around him, rather it was for her team, her friends, her village.

Spikes of chakra to the east interrupted Sakura's thoughts and the group turned to see two ninjas being pursued by Sand-nin. They were a good deal behind Sakura's team and were heading past them, towards a group of towering rock formations

"Do we jump in?" Eriko asked, her eyes wide and shifting between the scene and Kenshi.

"Sand is our ally." Kenshi said with a resolute nod. His eyes narrowed as he went through the possible scenarios. "Alright, we're in position to cut them off. Set up an ambush and wait. We don't know if they're wanted dead or alive."

"Ametsu, Eriko move in from the west. Sakura, Kyo, go in from the east, I'll fall back and get information, keep proper distance and watch for my signal. Break."

Kenshi, Ametsu and Eriko ran off, while Kyo began to do hand seals. Sakura pulled on her gloves as she waited for him. They were currently on the west side of the enemy. In order to get to the east of them, without running right in front of them or some other silly maneuver that would give away their position, Sakura would have to depend on Kyo.

Kyo muttered the jutsu under his breath, then quickly turned to Sakura. "Grab on!" The sand around his feet began to whirl and he sunk lower and lower into the point of a perfect cone. Sakura practically had to tackle him to avoid slipping into the sand. "Hold your breath!"

Sakura took a deep breath and squeezed her eyes shut as they submerged into the sand as if it was water. Suddenly she was being pulled to the east; she tucked her head to Kyo's neck and held onto him for dear life. It felt like she was holding onto a snake frantically tunneling through the sand. Kyo's movements seemed gratuitously jerky and fast, like he didn't know what he was really doing.

Finally, after what was less than a minute, but felt like twenty, the sand reeled around them again and a gust of fresh air surrounded them. Kyo was standing in a little conical crater; his hands in the last seal, with Sakura clung on his back like a starfish.

"Sorry Haruno, not really used to doing that technique in sand." He gave her an apologetic grin as she slid off his back, a tad dizzy.

"Don't worry about it." Sakura murmured, a palm on her head. She shook her head around to get rid of the dizziness, but really only managed to pelt Kyo with a barrage of sand.

Sakura's eye twitched. All that time she spent getting the grains off her person and now she was practically caked in it! The amount of sand in her pockets made it feel like there were weights deliberately sown to her clothing and backpack. Damn it, Kankuro had been completely right.

Sakura slipped off her backpack and looked around. The little crater they stood in gave them cover from the approaching shinobi. Kyo peeked his head out waiting for the signal. He had dirty blonde hair, so he blended right in. When Sakura motioned to peer out of the crater, Kyo placed a hand on her head, effectively stopping her from going any further.

"If they see a random pink spot over here, call me paranoid, but it could give away our location," He drawled, his eyes slightly lidded with good-humor.

Sakura rolled her eyes, but a small smile was on her lips. "Fine." Every time she was with a new team, her hair always came up at one point or another. "Fill me in on what's going on then."

"Alright." He drawled lowly, "There's two guys heading this way. With their speed it looks like we got 30 seconds or so before they fly right past us. One of them's pretty big, I'm guessing taijutsu specialist."

"Why?" Sakura knew very well that appearances meant nothing in the shinobi world.

"I dunno, just a feeling." Kyo shrugged, "The other guy's pretty lanky and has a huge scroll strapped to his back. Looks like a summons to me. They're moving through the sand like we do, they're not used to the terrain- The signal! Attack!" Kyo leapt out of the crater like a slingshot.

Sakura ran out ahead, stopping right in the enemy's path. They were about twenty yards away from her. Kyo threw a volley of kunai from the air, making the enemy jump back and halt to avoid them. Sakura pulled back her fist, gathered a massive amount of chakra, and slammed it into the ground below her.

The sand waved and shifted violently like an earth quake, making the enemy lose their footing. They jumped up into the air to avoid most of the chakra waves traveling swiftly through the grains.

Ametsu and Eriko launched from the west. Ametsu held two massive swords and was attacking the big guy like a fiend. The sun glimmered off the blades, making Sakura look away. Eriko threw explosive notes at the lanky guy. He threw his own kunai to counter them and the tags exploded on impact. A massive black cloud stained the blue sky, marking their battle for all to see.

The lanky one landed back on the sand, sliding the scroll off his back and opening it in one fluid motion. He bit his thumb and was about to mark the blank sheet.

Sakura sent another tremor through the ground, making him stumble and the bloody line was sloppily placed, smudged and crooked. Regardless, black characters appeared on the scroll and with sudden puffs of smoke, a lizard the size of a house stood beneath him. Smaller lizards littered the ground, each about the height of a horse and as broad as a rhino.

Sakura heard a strangled yell from her left. She glanced to see Kyo's eyes narrowed in fear and anger, his lips pulled back in a snarl. "Why the fuck did it have to be _lizards_!?"

Sakura was completely taken back by Kyo suddenly losing his cool. She didn't know what to do with that reaction and didn't really have time to respond to him anyway. One of the horse-sized lizards was barreling towards her with an alarming amount of speed.

Sakura narrowed her eyes and pulled back her fist. Once again she hit the ground; making the lizard's feet sink and struggle in the sand. With her other fist cocked, she ran and drove it into the lizard's nose, smashing it with a loud crack. A gust of wind embraced her as it puffed away into smoke.

"Sakura, get em!" Kyo frantically roared.

Sakura turned to see Kyo surrounded by three lizards. She didn't even have time to curse the fact that Kyo was lacertiliaphobic. While two lizards attacked him, Kyo seemed to go berserk and started throwing everything he had at them. His body twisted and turned, throwing kunai and explosive tags every which way.

He was too preoccupied with the first two, he missed the third reeling its head back, its stomach expanding. Sakura instantly knew it was a Katon.

She reached into her bag and pulled out a kunai, with lighting speed she attached a wire to it and hurled it, revolving her wrist to add the necessary spin for her goal.

The wire wrapped itself around the lizard's snout, and with a hard tug from Sakura, effectively sealing its mouth shut.

The lizard's eyes widened in alarm and it began to thrash about. Sakura planted her feet to the ground with chakra. Before the lizard could even begin to think of moving towards her, his gut, filled with chakra infused fire, exploded sending scorched entrails everywhere. Hot blood splattered the sand like paint, but with a poof of smoke it was gone.

Sakura could be thankful for that. She was so close to upchucking her lunch (dealing with and sewing together organs was one thing, seeing a living breathing thing blow up, was something a tad different). Two more loud pops and Sakura turned to see a scratched up Kyo, exhausted, sweaty and panting, but surrounding by two dispersing clouds of smoke.

There was a sudden violet gust of wind and Ametsu was careening towards her, those blades dangerously sailing through the air. Sakura braced herself to catch him. With an outrageous amount of impact, Sakura slide back, her chakra planted feet digging into the sand and gouging out trails. She knew she was heading straight for a small rock formation, and in a rushed panic gathered a layer of chakra at her back to protect her.

She slammed into the rock with such force that she left a small, but devastating crater. Ametsu would of snapped his spine if she hadn't caught him. Sakura slumped down to the ground. She let out a gasp as one of Ametsu's swords sliced the side of her calf.

Sakura ignored it, already gathering chakra in her calf to heal it later. She looked over Ametsu in her arms. He was like a sack of rice on her, his eyes open but glassy. Sakura carefully placed him on the sand, now grateful for the shade the rock provided. Sakura quickly glanced up to make sure her comrades were keeping the enemy occupied.

Eriko and a few Sand-nins seemed to be getting rid of most of the smaller lizards. Other Sand-nins were dealing with the massive lizard and the lanky ninja standing on its head. That lizard was spitting out acidic saliva, the sand smoking and violently sizzling where Sand-nins had avoided it.

Kenshi was fighting the big guy, his chakra infused chakrams spinning and crackling with lighting. However, that big guy was holding his own, and Kyo was right. He was a taijutsu specialist. He was faster than he looked, maneuvering his body in a manner she thought only Lee and Gai capable of.

Kyo was fighting off any lizards that came towards her with such feverous intensity, you would think that lizards had been the sole cause for every misery to _ever_ enter his life.

Sakura turned back to Ametsu, checking his pulse to find it frighteningly slow. He was moving his mouth, but not a word came out. His eyes stared up at her, seeing through her. Those dark green eyes looked empty, the pupils gone.

"Ametsu!" Sakura called to him, her voice strong. "Can you hear me? Blink if you can."

He didn't react. Sakura searched his body, and found his ribs smashed in and his collar bone broken, ugly bruises already forming over him. He had to have internal injuries. Sakura's eyes narrowed. Those were the worst to heal, especially on the field.

Blood began to drip from his mouth, confirming Sakura's conclusion. She cursed under her breath and quickly unzipped his green vest. She pulled it open and sliced open his black shirt with a kunai. She then tossed the weapon into the sand and placed her hands over his chest. They glowed a pastel green and Sakura sent out a fine wave of chakra, scanning over his organs.

The right side of his rib cage was completely broken, smashed and tearing into the soft tissue of his lung.

"Damn it." Sakura cursed. What she wouldn't do for the Byakugan right about know. She closed her eyes and saw (felt, really) his organs and bones outlined with her chakra. She pulled her chakra, tugging the bones out of the spongy tissue. Blood gushed into his lungs and Sakura desperately tried to weave together the lung's tissue and block out the blood.

Sakura was completely in the dark here. She had been actively studying how to heal external wounds, burns, slices, punctures. She only knew the basics of internal wounds; she was going to start that as soon as she got home.

However, if Sakura had one skill, it was her chakra control. With tendrils of chakra she pulled the tissue together. She gently pierced the flesh with the chakra thread, stitching up the wound. Sakura let out a sigh of relief, it wasn't the best job, but it would hold till she got him back to Konoha. Next the ribs-

Ametsu started gurgling, blood gushing over his lips and down his chin. Sakura gasped in alarm. Damn it! Her hands rushed over his lung, and she closed her eyes to see his lung half full of blood. What the- that meant there was another injury she missed.

Sakura let out a growl of frustration and frantically tried to pull the blood out of his lung. She had been practicing poison extraction in Suna, she would use the same method. With intense concentration, Sakura pulled out long globs of blood and threw it on the sand, trying to beat out the blood flowing in.

When she got the blood low enough, she sent out another wave of chakra and found the injury. His sternum had been hammered in (Sakura cursed harshly, she missed it the first time). It looked like he avoided a hit only enough for his sternum to be tilted towards his lung instead of smashing into his heart.

Sakura's eyes widened. She would have to put his sternum back into alignment in the same way she would put a bone back into its socket. Except she'd have to do it with her chakra. Not exactly child's play. Sakura took a deep calming breath, pushing away the exhaustion that was beginning to creep in on her.

"Ametsu, this will hurt a little bit." Sakura whispered to him. It was lie, it would be excruciating.

She placed her hands over his sternum and with exceptional control and one quick jerk, twisted it back into place. Ametsu didn't make a sound.

Sakura glanced at his face, concerned at his lack of response. But she could feel his heart beat. She needed to heal that punctured lung and then figure out what else had been done to him.

"Damn it, they're on the run again." Kyo said landing beside her.

"Don't talk to me!" Sakura hissed, not looking up from the task at hand. Dealing with distractions was one thing that Sakura still needed to work on.

"Ametsu!" Kyo cried as if he just looked down to see what she was doing. Suddenly two other bodies were brought to her by the Sand-nins. "Kenshi!" Kyo cried again, Sakura glanced to see that a burned up Sand-nin was also brought to her.

One of the Sand-nin, and older man, started talking. "ANBU forces are on the way, that artifact must be retrieved at all cost." It was more of an order towards Kyo and Eriko (who were the only ones not occupied or incapacitated) to keep pursuing them along with the Sand-nin that were already after the Rogue ninjas.

"Who _are_ those guys?" Eriko asked, her voice filled with a sense of anger and awe.

"Hamo from Earth and Kajika from Waterfall, both missing-nins and marked in the Bingo book. They must have been hired to steal that artifact."

Why were they talking?! Sakura wanted to scream at them to shut it. She tried to block out their voices and finally managed to close the puncture. She drained out the remaining blood in Ametsu's lung.

"What did that Hamo guy do to Kenshi and Ametsu?" Eriko asked concerned.

Sakura wasn't sure if Eriko was talking to her or not, and frankly she didn't care. Sweat was beginning to drip into her eyes and the wind was picking up, lifting sand up into the air. Sakura narrowed her eyes focusing on pulling the bones together. The shards of bone weren't life threatening, she just had to make sure they didn't dig into the vulnerable tissue and muscle around them.

"They're locked in some genjutsu…" Kyo muttered. From the shadow that fell over her, Sakura figured that Kyo was waving his hand in front of Kenshi's face.

Sakura fastened the bones together, the bonds brittle and temporary. She let out a sigh and did one more check on Ametsu. Satisfied that his body was in a stable condition, she turned to Kenshi. He was slumped over his legs, leaning back slightly on the rock.

The Sand-nin spoke up again. "Leave them with the medic." And with that he was gone; Eriko was gone a second later. Kyo lingered for a moment looking at Sakura, his tone soft.

"Don't exhaust yourself, reinforcements are on the way."

* * *

Kisame decided that he hated Sand Country.

It was dry, windy, dirty, and unbearably hot_._ His cloak was itchy and his arm-warmers were _not_ his favorite piece of clothing right now. There was sand in his sandals, in his cloak, under his shirt, and in his gills. And no matter how much he scratched or picked, he couldn't get the damn grains out. Normally he would just wash them out, but there wasn't exactly a steady water source around here.

The first time the sand-in-gill incident happened, Kisame simply washed them out with his canteen. Only for sand to be blown in his face a second later and make it look like he was wearing a sandpaper mask.

Itachi had found that amusing. Kisame did not.

After washing that sand off, with the wind to his back this time, Kisame _still_ managed to get a second skin of sand. He was only left to let it dry and rub the sand off. Of course that left his face dry and itchy and his gills caked with sand. Back to square one, Kisame was rubbing and scratching at his gills, but to no avail. He just had to wait it out.

Do you have any idea how _irritating_ it is to have stuff in your gills? No. Of course not. The only thing Kisame could liken it too is a layer of sand covering the back of your throat, but ten times worse.

Of course, that wasn't the best part. The air was disgustingly dry. His tongue had turned to cotton in his mouth hours ago. He had to constantly keep blinking his eyes to keep the sand out. At one point, Kisame had gone on with his eyes closed for over 20 miles, then he got careless and walked into a rock formation.

Again, Itachi found that amusing. Kisame was ready to kill something.

Damn it, he could not remember the last time he was this uncomfortable. Being from Mist, he was used to constant humidity. In fact, he would go as far to say that he loved humidity. He had even convinced Itachi to wait a week until storm season kicked in, so that Kisame would not _die_ from the dry heat.

As Kisame's luck would have it, storm season was late this year. And Itachi would not wait any longer.

When they were at the edge of the desert, just about to venture in, Kisame suggested making a river and just swimming to their destination. Itachi didn't think this was very inconspicuous. _Apparently_, someone might investigate the sudden 100-something-mile long river. Kisame begged to differ.

Itachi put his foot down.

And now Kisame was sweaty! Contrary to what people may think, Kisame did not enjoy being sweaty (who would?). Actually, he had a big problem with being sweaty. The fact was that Kisame enjoyed being clean, he enjoyed the smell of clean water, he enjoyed being comfortable in his skin. Sweat was thick, like a layer of grim, and it made him feel greasy. Also… Alright, he was just gonna come out and say it. Sweat made him smell fishy.

_There_.

And Kisame did not like that smell coming from him. It's not like he was a pansy about it. He wasn't like Hidan, who took two showers a day and bought a ridiculous amount of hygiene products. Kisame just always found a way to rinse off the sweat before he began to smell.

However, no opportunity was presenting itself. So here he was….

He glanced at Itachi, who had place a noticeable amount of distance between them. Jerk. Kisame looked forward. He hoped some bad ass ninja suddenly ambushed them right then and there so he could summon a lake.

The wind blew the little bell hanging from Itachi's hat and sent the white strips of cloth into Kisame's eyes, along with _more_ sand. The white strips clung to his skin. Somehow, he had managed to keep the grains of sand out of his eyes, but not this time.

With a growl of frustration (he had sensitive eyes, okay?), Kisame unclipped Samehada and tore off his cloak. He felt Itachi's gaze fall on him.

"Kisame-san, you should probably put that back on. You're going to burn…or grill."

"That is _not_ funny, Itachi-san!" Kisame spat out, annoyed to no end. Itachi always chose the most horrible times to exercise his almost none-existent sense of humor (usually when Kisame could not partake in it)! Kisame angrily pulled off his arm warmers and threw them to the ground.

Itachi spoke again, his tone perfectly leveled as always, "We're in broad daylight, so stripping may not be the best idea."

"Just go ahead, I'll catch up." Kisame knew Itachi was just trying to get on his nerves. Also contrary to popular belief, Itachi could be a real punk.

"How do people live out here?" He muttered darkly.

"It's your own fault we got sent out here." Itachi reminded, not bothering to look back as he walked ahead.

Kisame cursed under his breath as he remembered why Pein had sent _them_, of all the teams, out into the desert.

He was in the training ground with Sasori. One way or another, they started an extensive conversation. It somehow led to the desert. He forgot why, but Kisame started bragging that he could turn the whole damn country into an ocean if he felt like it.

For the life of him, he couldn't remember why he said that, because Kisame usually didn't boast like that (maybe he's been hanging around Hidan too much), so he could only assume that Sasori had provoked him.

Anyway, Sasori said that he couldn't turn the country into an ocean. Kisame said he could. Sasori said he couldn't. One thing led to another, and the entire east wing of the compound ended up flooded and destroyed.

That also happened to be where all the food supplies were stored.

Now here he was, in the damn desert, with a 40 percent salary cut for the next 6 months. Stupid Pein…

And you know what? Sasori didn't even get in trouble for goading him!

Kisame stuffed the arm warmers into his pack. Then threw his cloak back on, clipped on Samehada and grabbed his hat. He walked on trailing after Itachi.

Their mission was to pick up some artifact. A teapot, apparently. The importance of the artifact was beyond him, but orders were orders. This was supposed to be Deidara and Sasori's job. But Pein decided to be an ass, and sent Kisame to the damn desert, and this is a direct quote, _"…to turn it into an ocean."_

Of course, Pein made it sound almost as if he was simply giving Kisame a chance to disprove Sasori. He was a benevolent tyrant.

They also had to check on the resident Jinchuuriki while they were there. Scouting and all that was actually Zetsu's job. Though, it seemed he had other matters to attended to. Itachi's Jinchuuriki was out running around with that Sannin. Kisame had yet to locate his own. He should probably work on that sometime (since _Zetsu_ was too busy with who knows what).

A few other missions were assigned to them while they were in the area. Kill a few feudal lords; retrieve some scrolls, the usua-

Kisame caught a scent on the wind. There were three groups of people to the east. Chakra spiked in two of the groups. There was a single massive rock formation near them and in seconds both Kisame and Itachi were at the top of it, concealed behind a natural stone wall

Kisame saw a group of Sand-nin chasing after two ninjas. His eyes zeroed in to see that one was from Waterfall, the other from Earth. His eyes swiveled to the group farthest from them, Leaf-nin.

"Well this is…." Kisame's eyes did a double take on a pink spot. "…interesting."

Itachi said nothing, simply observing the events unfold.

"Let's jump in." Kisame stated, already slapping his hands together for his Bakusui Shoha. He would take any opportunity to summon some water, he really _was_ going to summon an ocean this time-

"Kisame-san." Itachi said firmly, his voice catching him with the same effect of a physical restraint. "Don't be so hasty. I believe those rogue ninjas have our artifact."

Kisame raised a skeptical brow. "When did you get the Byakugan?"

From this distance, Kisame had the better vision. Yeah, Itachi could see every minuscule detail in their _immediate_ surroundings, he could track every step _one_ of those ninjas made, he could _faintly_ see the chakra running through their bodies, he could see where some_one_ was going to move, and this was after intense concentration.

It was Kisame that could quickly scan over faces, forehead protectors, weapons, focus in on details and hand seals. Of course, once they got closer, Itachi would be the all-seeing one. While Kisame had seven times better vision than the average human, Itachi had specialized updates. It was actually quite absurd how powerful those red eyes of his were.

However, they couldn't see through clothing. And as far as Kisame could tell, those rogues weren't holding any teapots.

Itachi ignored Kisame's smart-ass comment, "One of the Sand-nin pursuing them is Ukikusa. He's in charge of the guards assigned to protect that artifact." Itachi looked over to Kisame. His face clearly conveyed: _'Really__, you should know that, and I'm disappointed.'_

Anyone else but Kisame would have completely missed all that. As it was, he got the message.

Kisame tried to look nonchalant.

So he skimmed over the random particulars on the mission assignments. It's not like he really needed to read every little detail anyway, especially with a partner as thorough and meticulous as Itachi. However, it was still kinda embarrassing when Itachi caught him with stupid little fine points like that.

Kisame looked on. The Leaf team suddenly split up. His gaze stayed on that pink-headed form. Another ninja stayed there doing an earth jutsu. Suddenly the pink one jumped onto the other ninja like a frog and they both disappeared into the sand.

Kisame scanned over the area to see where they would pop up. He saw the other Leaf-nin jump to surround the Rogues, and one of them fall back to the Sand-nins. The pink one and the other ninja appear in a burst of sand, ahead of the Rogues. They stood in a little crater, just out of view.

He eyes stayed on that pink one… Could it be…? Nah… But, come on, how many pink-haired kids were there? Really?

Sakura. Yeah, he remembered her name. Her annoying little friend had called back to her in that Dango shop. He only remembered her name because he thought it was funny. Really, could her parents be any less creative? Pink hair- Sakura. Done.

He was mildly curious to see her again. He wondered if he would have to fight her. This thought almost made him laugh out loud. How old was she? Twelve? She was probably still a Genin. A little innocent Genin dragged into the wrong fight.

Though, it was odd twist of fate to run into her again. They _would_ eventually be pulled into the fight, they needed to retrieve that artifact. He started hoping she would live long enough for him to step in. Just for fun. No one else really looked that interesting.

His eyes ran over the Rogues. He focused on their faces. They looked familiar…

"Bingo Book." Itachi said simply before Kisame could ask.

"Oh." Kisame let out simply. He wasn't embarrassed for not knowing that. Itachi had copied every new Bingo Book that came out, Kisame just glanced thorough it.

"They any good?" Kisame couldn't help but feel a bit hopeful now. He was getting in the mood for a good fight.

"Kajika has some impressive summoning techniques, but other than that he's a simple Jounin. Hamo, the bulkier of the two, is known to have been an ANBU commander before he left Earth."

"Well, that's promising." A grin eased onto Kisame's face.

Suddenly Sakura and the other ninja leapt from they're hiding spot. The ninja threw a round of kunai, making the Rogues jump back. Sakura punched at the ground and before Kisame could even raise a skeptical brow, the sand shook violently with power. The Rogue ninjas were forced to jump into the air and the other Leaf-nins attacked from the west with explosive tags.

The Rogues countered and a vast dark cloud was the result.

Kisame looked over to Sakura again, where the hell had that strength come from? Wow, things just got a _bit_ more interesting. She moved towards the skinny guy and hit the ground again, the chakra booming through the sand like thunder.

He focused his eyes on the scroll and realized Kajika was summoning two massive reptiles (he couldn't tell what type). However, Sakura's attack made him stumble and mess up the summons. Instead, only one large lizard appeared along with around 30 smaller ones.

One came running towards Sakura, and she didn't even seem to flinch. She met it head on, slamming her fist into its face.

"Ow." Kisame let out under his breath. He could tell that she completely shattered its snout.

"That's one of the Sannin's techniques..." Itachi's voice trail off, his tone had the smallest lilt of intrigue. "We should get closer." He finally said.

Kisame rolled his eyes. The kid clearly wanted to copy the technique, unable to at this distance.

"Itachi-san, don't be so hasty." Kisame echoed, chuckling at his own joke. Itachi sent him a dry glare.

One of the Leaf-nins suddenly went crazy on two lizards. That kids was really going all out. Which was rather silly in Kisame's opinion. No use getting exhausted with those, they were just lackeys. There were still the Rogues to deal with.

Also in his frantic rush, he seemed to miss the third, whose gut was filling up with fire. Sakura threw a kunai at its mouth, which was connected to a wire. The sun caught the metal line, making it glimmer and shine. Now the lizard had its mouth wrapped up and sealed shut.

It only took a few seconds for it to burst into bloody flames. Blood splattered everywhere. It covered a few Sand-nins, and lingered for a few moments before it poofed into nothing.

Kisame grinned. That was delightfully brutal. His eyes swiveled back to Sakura. Another Leaf-nin was thrown towards her like a kunai. She braced herself to catch him, but the force threw her back into a rock formation. The damn thing curved in such a way that it blocked her from his view.

His eyes turned over to the Hamo guy. A Leaf Jounin was now fighting him with chakrams. Kisame probably should have been watching Hamo from the beginning, seeing as it was looking like it would come down to Itachi and himself taking care of those Rogues.

Hamo was a bit cut up from the last Leaf-nin, but was doing just as good against this one. At first it looked like the Leaf-nin would do Hamo in. After all, it was pretty difficult to fight barehanded against chakra infused chakrams. However as the fight progressed, the Leaf-nin was miss-aiming his attacks by mere inches and then his movements became slower, his reaction time lengthened and it seemed as if his body wasn't listening to his brain anymore.

Itachi took the opportunity to enlighten Kisame. "Surrounding Hamo's body is a sphere of chakra, about a five-foot radius. It's very difficult to detect. Its purpose is to make his opponent more susceptible to his doujutsu."

Kisame focused on Hamo's eyes, but couldn't see anything more than their blue color at this distance. "What's his doujutsu?"

"It's a bloodline limit. Genjutsu oriented. The Bingo Book is not really clear what it does exactly. Something about removing the mind from the body."

"So, do you wanna fight that guy?" Kisame said rather impartial. Itachi tended to take care of the Genjutsu users, having the Sharingan and all. He also liked to challenge other doujutsu with his own.

Kisame just liked to fight, he didn't really care who.

"Sure." Itachi said simply

Hamo dealt the Leaf-nin one more hit that set him flying back, leaving another Leaf-nin to catch him.

One of the Sand-nins managed to get a good hit on the lanky guy, who was still on the massive lizard, only to find a water replacement. The Lizard turned and twisted and attacked wildly at the remaining Sand-nins and caught one with a Kanton. The lizard seemed satisfied with that and poofed away voluntarily.

The lanky guy was making his escape, having been able to preoccupy and distract most of the other shinobi, and Hamo was catching up to him.

They were running towards a group of rock formations. The rocks jutted out of the sand like towers, all surrounding a wide colossal one that looked like a natural overpass.

"Let's move in." Itachi finally ordered. Kisame didn't have to be told twice.

They leapt off the cliff and ran across the sand, meaning to cut off the Rogues at the overpass.

As soon as they passed the first rocky spire, Kisame felt his skin tingle. It was subtle enough for his mind to not fully register it. He knowingly brushed it aside.

Kisame was at the point where he didn't really care about precautions. He was hot and gross and still very uncomfortable, so he just wanted to kick some ass.

Some would call this reckless, but that was something Kisame could always afford to be.

He looked around, Itachi was nowhere to be found, and Kisame realized he suddenly couldn't sense any chakra signatures, not even his own. But with a sense of smell and hearing like his, it didn't really hinder him much. Kisame leapt up to a ledge on one of the spires and turned to see the Rogues approach a nearby rock tower.

Without much ado, Kisame grabbed Samehada and was about to just jump in, when three Sand-nins sent a volley of explosive tags at the Rogues. What made Kisame pause was that a few of those kunai went flying at the spire he was standing on and with a thundering boom, the spire was crumpling and falling down onto the Rogues.

Kisame jumped over to another spire just as the Rogues jumped to avoid the avalanche.

Then there was an awkward moment where all three of them were in the air, kinda just looking at each other in surprise and bafflement.

"Screw this." Kisame muttered having lost the element of surprise in the lamest way ever. Without reserve, he swung Samehada in one long sweep towards Kajika.

Kajika tried to pull his body back, but could only curl up his legs to protect his gut. The guy was wearing metal shin guards, but Samehada severed through the thick metal enough to dig into the flesh of his shins.

Kisame pushed and back flipped to another spire, planting his feet on the slanted surface viva chakra. Meanwhile, Kajika plummeted to the ground

Hamo flew back and landed on another spire. His eyes looked over Kisame's cloak and widened. It was now that Kisame saw the ring of small black dots surrounding his black pupil.

"Gimmie the pot." Kisame called out rather tactlessly. As soon as he said that, Kisame realized that that probably sounded funny. Okay, Kisame would be the first to admit that he didn't always think before he spoke.

From the look the ninja was giving him, Kisame needed to clarify. "The teapot."

The Sand-nins were approaching fast, but Hamo actually pulled it out. (Kisame wasn't sure from where, it was actually pretty big and he started wondering how he missed it before…)

Before Kisame could even react, Hamo shoved the teapot into the solid spire wall, and it melted through like he was pushing it into mud.

Kisame rolled his eyes. Great, Itachi would probably blame that on him somehow. Wait- where was Itachi, anyway?

* * *

Sakura looked back over Kenshi, having healed the Sand-nins burns as best she could. Kenshi didn't have any internal injuries like Ametsu, only his left femur had been broken. But something else was wrong with him.

His brown eyes held the same emptiness that Ametsu's did. After repeatedly scanning both of them, she found Hamo's chakra sticking so closely to their own, that it looked like a merging film.

Like a bolt it came together. The foreign chakra was masking the pain and all the other sensations the body felt, keeping the brain out of touch.

Sakura cursed under her breath, normally she would have just sent a pulse of chakra to disrupt the flow of the foreign chakra, there by dispelling the genjutsu. However, with the foreign chakra clinging to Kenshi's, her pulse would also go against his. Normally his system would naturally recover, but with his brain disassociating, she wasn't sure. She risked doing permanent damage to his chakra system.

Sakura looked between the two men, her brows dipped in worry and concern. She had no idea what was going on in their heads, but the genjutsu could be doing irreversible damage to their minds. And there was no fixing that once it happened. And in many ways, that was worse than death.

Sakura had no choice but to make such a finely controlled pulse of chakra that she only disturbed the enemy's chakra, like knife cutting between the skin and the muscle. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, her hand glowing over Kenshi's chest.

What made the whole damn thing even harder was the fact that she had to do this by sensing alone, by feeling everything out. It's not as if she could _actually see_ the chakra.

She let out a ragged sigh of frustration and began.

Sakura slowly sent out the wave, sinking through his skin and muscles and finding the chakra coils. At first she tentatively hovered over them, spread out the wave, and encompassed all of his coils. Her hands were shaking from exhaustion and she harshly willed it away.

Sweat dripped down her closed eyelids, gathering over her tear ducts. Sakura ignored it and with a twitch of her fingers, her chakra surged against the enemy's. The green clashed into yellow, making it disperse into nothing.

Kenshi gasped, his eyes snapping to focus. Sakura let out a swooshing breath of relief. She slumped over for a moment, panting. Her hands feeling raw and sore.

"Sakura…?" Kenshi breathed out, he reached out to touch her, his hand shaky as if she would disappear.

Sakura looked up and caught his hand, giving him an encouraging smile. "You okay?" She sighed out, her body craving rest.

He closed his eyes and nodded. Then they snapped open in realization. "The enemy?"

"They're being pursued by Kyo, Eriko and the Sand-nin." Sakura said, forcing her voice to be professional. She then turned to shake Ametsu out of his stupor.

Kenshi stayed quite, flexing his hands and moving his body experimentally. He waited in silence, watching Sakura work on Ametsu.

With her sight only seeing Ametsu's chakra coils, she missed the look of respect and thankfulness he gave her.

Unlike Kenshi, Ametsu's eyes slowly came into focus. It was almost comical how Ametsu was looking at her questioningly, and then his face slowly contorted into confusion and then a howl of pain. "What the hell?!" He cried out.

With his mind reconnecting with his body, he was now feeling the pain of broken bones and damaged tissue. Sakura could only be relieved that he was finally responding.

"You're going to be okay, just bear through." Sakura soothed taking his hand in hers, he clenched it, and Sakura summoned a bit of chakra to make sure he didn't break it.

Kenshi addressed her, his tone gentle but that of a commander, "Sakura, with Kyo and Eriko fighting-"

"I know." Sakura said simply. She could tell that he was going to giving her the option of staying to recover her chakra reserves. But she had responsibilities. She was their medic. She had to go make sure they were okay.

Sakura gave him a nod, which he returned. Sakura passed him Ametsu's hand. He was surprised by the force he suddenly received from Ametsu and gave Sakura an astonished look.

Sakura leapt over the rock and into the sun light. She landed hastily on the ground, and without much effort, sent chakra to her feet to help her glide over the sand.

* * *

Kisame swiped at the Sand-nin that was attacking him. Geez, just because you wear a mysterious black cloak, you _must_ be on the enemy's side. The Sand-nin's gut got torn up and he dropped to the ground. But Kisame was effectively distracted from his goal and Hamo was getting away.

Kajika was in a battle with three Sand-nin, and despite his bloody shins, was really making the Sand-nin work for it with a barrage of fire jutsus. The Sand-nin were getting the upper hand with a few well placed poisoned darts, but Kajika didn't have that damn artifact, so Kisame didn't care.

Kisame leapt to a ledge on a spire and spotted Hamo a few towers ahead of him. Kisame was about to head over to him when someone suddenly melted out of the wall right beside his face.

Startled, Kisame swung Samehada and the figure jumped out of the way just in time.

All that was left was a massive crater that made it look like someone grabbed a colossal ice cream scoop and took a chunk of the spire off. Also, an irritated Itachi now stood in front of him.

"Kisame." Itachi said firmly, and Kisame knew he was particularly miffed because he dropped the honorific. "Would you bother to dispel the genjutsu?" And with a single seal Itachi took the genjutsu off of Kisame.

Now Kisame could feel everybody's chakra signatures dotting the area and he felt a set of very controlled signatures heading towards them with alarming speed.

"Well, I was trying to even the playing field…" Kisame said rather lamely, turning to the group. Maybe it was reckless to give your opponent an advantage, but if it resulted in a good fight, then it was worth it in Kisame's opinion.

Itachi completely disagreed. "Those are ANBU."

"They're still a ways off; we got at least fifteen minutes." Kisame shrugged. ANBU shmANBU.

"Stop messing around, Kisame-san," Itachi had cooled off a bit, "They sent the artifact to a third team member. It appears that he is not only a Genjutsu master, but is employing a strong Doton."

"Earth? So he's hiding in the rock?"

"I can't see him; I can only dispel the genjutsu. We'll have to lure him out." Itachi's gaze shifted over to Kajika below, who was barely holding out. "You deal with Hamo." In an instant Itachi was gone.

Kisame let out a snort. Itachi rarely fully explained what he was planning. Usually he just told Kisame a basic order. Leaving Kisame to just go with the flow and improvised as he went. Itachi had always been skilled enough to tie up any loose ends.

In the corner of his eye he saw Itachi below already cutting through two Sand-nin and descending on the third. They were in the way.

Kisame closed his eyes and sought out Hamo's chakra. To the northwest. It didn't take long to find him and without much warning, Kisame jumped down from a spire, Samehada held high over his head.

Hamo looked up just in time to roll out of the way and the sand waved and left a soft crater where Kisame landed, Samehada submerged into the sand up to its hilt. With his back to him, Hamo took the advantage to attack and sent out a hammer kick

He underestimated Kisame's speed (a lot of people do), and with disturbing strength, Kisame tore Samehada out of the ground _like the sand wasn't even there, _and spun to counter.

At the last minute Hamo switch tactics and pushed off the blade. Kisame didn't miss a beat and shot forward. Hamo landed, his back to a tower and jumped up, making Kisame take out the base of the rock. The spire began to tilt forward, having lost a massive part of the foundation.

Kisame threw himself to the left in time to see Hamo's hands flying through seals. He was mildly disappointed to see that Hamo's little chakra sphere (which Kisame could _barely_ sense by the way) was the only thing that changed. Instead of that five foot radius that Itachi had mentioned, it was now twenty, which was a pretty big jump.

But ultimately… Well, whatever. Kisame jumped into another attack and instead of Hamo dodging, he threw up his forearms to block. He too had metal arm guards, and with a roll of Kisame's shoulder, Samehada ate through them.

That chakra field was being sucked in by Samehada, shrinking in on Hamo.

Hamo's eyes narrowed in confusion. "What the-"

"Surprised?" Kisame asked politely. For some reason, no matter how many times he explained what Samehada did, Kisame never got sick of it. It was like introducing an old friend.

"Regardless," Hamo muttered after Kisame's little spiel "With the density of my chakra, it won't take long. Your sword won't be able to hold it."

Kisame give him a wide grin "It doesn't matter how concentrated, raw or powerful your chakra is, Samehada has a limitless capacity to absorb it."

"But can you?" Hamo stated calmly before launching another attack.

Kisame brought up Samehada; Hamo quickly shifted his attack to a low kick. Kisame jumped up, and slammed Samehada down towards Hamo's head. Kisame's grin widened the instant the sword made contact, immediately recognizing the way the impact traveled through Samehada and back to his hand.

Mud spattered everywhere and Kisame's free hand shot out to catch the fist barreling towards his face. Kisame clenched his fist, hearing the bone crack as if they belonged to a sparrow. Hamo let out a strangled cry and quickly made a seal with his other hand.

A wave of chakra shot through Kisame's body. His eyes narrowed, a bit confused. Almost against his will, Kisame's eyes looked back to Hamo, locking with blue and black. Kisame suddenly felt dizzy, but quickly shook it off.

Before Hamo could do anything else, Kisame pulled back the fist in his hand and hurled the body away with an alarming amount of power. Hamo crashed into one of the massive rock pillars, disappearing in a cloud of dust and debris.

Kisame stood still, taking deep breaths as he tried to figure out what had just happened. He concentrated chakra to his hand experimentally. It took a little more effort than it normally did. Damn, what did Itachi say about that doujutsu?

Something about mind and body…

Kisame heard Hamo stirring. He looked over to see the guy emerge from the rubble. Kisame readied himself for another attack, but the Rogue... waited. Kisame's eyes narrowed, what was he waiting for?

He let out a sigh of slight disappointment. Kisame better end this soon. He wasn't sure what kinda of jutsu had just been place on him. And some time ago, Kisame had learned not to underestimate doujutsu (actually, it was around the time he met Itachi).

Also, now that he thought about it, it probably wasn't best to engage in close combat with this guy. Maybe Kisame _should_ stop messing around.

Especially if it ended in a genjutsu. Because… Well, Kisame had long ago come to terms with the fact that genjutsu just wasn't his forte. It wasn't like he was Genin level or anything. It was just embarrassing that compared to how skilled he was with everything else, his genjutsu was rather mediocre. Laughably mediocre. It was one of the reasons Kisame was partnered with Itachi.

Alright. Time to end it. Kisame decided it was time to summon that ocean. Actually, why the hell hadn't he done that sooner?

Instantly Kisame registered how hot and uncomfortable he was under that hat and heavy cloak and fell into a sour mood. And lucky for him he had someone to take it out on. Kisame moved to stick Samehada in the sand beside him and brought his hands together-

Hey… Why was he moving so slowly…?

Kisame saw Hamo jump into attack, as if his sluggish movements gave him a cue. Kisame summoned Samehada to his hand, and with speed and precision that no intimate object should move with, flew through the air towards Kisame's hand. Skillfully, the blade intercepted the feet that were about to bash Kisame's skull in. Hamo reeled back completely caught by surprised, leaving himself open for an attack.

Kisame grasped the hilt firmly, and moved to tear through Hamo's gut, but his body was listening a second later than when he willed it. Hamo took advantage and managed to summon a replacement just in time. Mud splattered against Kisame. He let out a snort of annoyance.

Letting go of Samehada again, he slapped his hands together to summon the water. He let out a curse when his eyes began to register double; he was even more annoyed when his hands weren't moving as efficiently and quickly as usual.

Hamo was on him again, and Kisame's eyes widened as the color in his vision started to fade. With a sharp punch to the jaw, Kisame flew back. While airborne, he completely lost his equilibrium and couldn't tell which way was up. He wasn't sure if he was falling down, if the blow had sent him up or what. Even when his back crashed into a rock face, he really wasn't sure where he was.

Yeah, Kisame hated genjutsu. Especially if it stemmed from a doujutsu.

* * *

Sakura ran towards the stone towers, the sun hot on her back. She entered the threshold and instantly felt a genjutsu smear over her skin like thick grimy cold mud. Sakura grimaced and instantly dispelled it. In that moment she realized that there was something up with the rock formations. She glanced at them warily, but wasn't exactly threatened by them.

She turned her attention to find chakra sources. There seemed to be six chakra signatures in the area. Two were familiar and she instantly recognized them as Eriko and Kyo, they were fighting an unfamiliar chakra. It wasn't Hamo or Kajika either. The third Rogue maybe? She found Hamo's chakra fighting a ridiculously huge one. For a second she paused, was that even human? There was something about that chakra that reminded her of Gaara for some reason. Well, it was fighting Hamo so she would leave that alone for the moment.

Kajika was weak, and not moving. Maybe he was dying. Sakura couldn't tell.

However, the strangest chakra was faintly surging through all the spires. Some sort Doton?

Satisfied with the scan, Sakura jumped over a pile of recently broken boulders and came to a shadowed area between the spires. It was littered with bodies.

She checked each one. One had his throat cleanly slice, the death quick and surprise permanently etched on his face. Another had a kunai violently shoved up the base of his skull. Instant death, his face slack and blank. As she appeared to the last nin, her mind went over the scenarios. Did the Rogues ambush them here? The Rogues didn't seem inclined, if even capable of surprising them and killing them in that manner.

The hairs on her arm stood up, telling her there was another Rogue about. Sakura glanced at the last Sand-nin and saw his stomach. She involuntary stepped back with revulsion. It was literally shredded open, no kunai or blade did that. It looked like he was mauled by a wild animal. He was left in a pool of his own blood, his eyes staring lifelessly past her, at the blue sky.

Sakura's mind warped to Kyo and Eriko, she had to find them. Her fist clenched, there was no way she could find them like this. Broken and beaten. She couldn't let that happen. Locating them, and disregarding the other battling chakras, Sakura leaped up onto the spires.

She was pretty sure that the chakra in the spires was only projecting the genjutsu. Which she had detected, so they should be harmless to her now. Sakura leapt towards Kyo and Eriko when they're chakra suddenly blipped of the radar. Sakura's heart stopped, her chakra holding her like a gecko to the rock side.

Her brows knit together, another genjutsu? Or…? Before Sakura could even decide what to do, Hamo and that monstrous chakra were careening towards her. Then as she turned to look at them, the entire stone tower she clung to was shaking from the very foundation.

The stone cracked into massive jagged pieces, and Sakura could only jump down from boulder to boulder to the ground. She masked her chakra and landed in the sand. She stood behind a fallen column of rock, effectively out of view of the shinobi fighting on the other side. In the fresh new rock wall, Sakura found a long slash of a window between the boulders and saw the ensuring battle.

Her mouth dropped open as she saw a black cloak and a straw hat. She couldn't see his face and the sword was unwrapped revealing rows of blue sharp, _something_. But she knew, without a doubt in her mind.

It was Kisame.

Her brows dipped in incredulous bafflement. Wow, what where the chances of ever bumping into him again?

Sakura didn't have the time to reminisce as she was distracted by something else. Hamo's chakra signature. It was like he was much, much bigger than he actually was. It reminded her of Choji when he did the Baika no Jutsu, just a perfect sphere of chakra surrounding his body.

Kisame jumped to attack him and Hamo threw up his arms to block, to Sakura's absolute astonishment the sword tore through the thick metal as if it was made of dry drift wood. There was just the thinnest of metals covering his arms now.

And what was even more amazing was that the sword seemed to be absorbing in Hamo's chakra, the giant sphere around him was shrinking. Hamo seemed even more surprised than she was at this development. The two exchanged some words, but Sakura couldn't really make them out.

Then Hamo was attacking again, and Kisame brought his sword up to block. Sakura tried to watch their movements, but she couldn't help but notice how every time Hamo neared Kisame, that sphere of chakra engulfed him.

Sakura closed her eyes to concentrate on it and noticed that Hamo's chakra was clinging, lingering on Kisame's. Her mind instantly flew back to Ametsu and Kenshi. How that chakra blinded them to the world around them, completely isolated their minds.

As Kisame's sword slammed into what turned out to be a mud-clone, Hamo appeared to his left, sending a fist at Kisame's face. Their movements were quick. Sakura was just able to catch that Hamo's entire arm was pumped with concentrated chakra, that lingering chakra.

Kisame caught the fist in his own and without hesitation crushed it like the bones were uncooked noodles. A burst of Hamo's chakra shot into Kisame's arm, and like a poison traveled through his body. Kisame hurled Hamo into a rock face, his body crashing and causing a cloud of debris.

Sakura's eyes swiveled back to Kisame and for a moment was left wondering if the foreign chakra was even affecting him.

There was a sharp shift in the air and Eriko and Kyo's chakra was back. Eriko's was normal, but Kyo's was alarmingly alive and flaring.

Sakura scowled at herself in horror when she realized she forgot them. She was completely taken in by the fight, by seeing Kisame again. She scanned the area and found that her team was holding their own. It was two against one. They were fine.

Sakura's gaze, almost unwillingly, went back to Kisame. Kyo and Eriko could hold out a little longer…

Hamo leapt from the debris. Sakura closed her eyes to feel out the chakras and could tell that the foreign chakra was indeed taking its toll. The only reason she could tell at this distance, and without getting detected, was because there were just so _much_ of it. From both opponents.

Kisame's movements were now slothful and Hamo flew in for an attack. Out of nowhere, that sword flew, as if on its own accord, and perfectly blocked the hit. However, Sakura noticed that while it sucked away at Hamo's chakra, it left Kisame's and the foreign chakra alone.

Kisame moved for a blow, but the chakra was sticking to him like coat of grease, separating the mind from the body. It seemed that Kisame was beginning to get disoriented.

In Sakura's mind she saw him giving into that genjutsu, saw his body broken and his mind imprisoned, just like Ametsu and Kenshi. Then Kisame was flying and crashing into the rock.

Hamo took the first opportunity he had to run, and bolted up into the spires and to the west, masking his chakra. It was then that Sakura realized he was scared. He clearly wasn't sure if he would get another chance to escape with his life and didn't want to risk it.

There was a moment of odd silence as Sakura turned back to the rubble where Kisame was. She felt the area again and found Eriko and Kyo's opponent was significantly weaker. The towers that were still in one piece pulsed with the genjutsu, Kajika's chakra was gone. Whether he was dead or just hiding she couldn't tell.

But Kisame's chakra pulsed steadily, the foreign chakra holding him in its clutches.

Sakura's heart beat like a drum in her throat, her ears rushing with blood and sudden adrenaline. Her shoulders were tense, her whole body rigid. Her hands twitched at her sides, her brow heavily set as she went over her options.

She could hurry to Eriko and Kyo and help them finish that guy up. She could choose to leave him. Leave him in the state that Ametsu and Kenshi were in, letting him suffer under that genjutsu, let it do whatever carnage it may to his mind…

Her eyes were wide as she considered this. She would be faultless. She had no duty to him. He wasn't an ally, she didn't even know what village he was from… They were strangers.

Yet, Sakura found herself hopping over the boulder and walking towards him. Her mind didn't try to talk her out of it, instead it reasoned alongside her.

It wasn't as if it was anything personal. It was just in her nature to be compassionate. After all, the enemy of my enemy is my friend. The business side of her said she had duties to Kyo and Eriko first. Not this stranger.

Despite it, Sakura's hand effortlessly picked up boulders, pushing them aside till she found his cloak.

And it was then that she decided that the only reason she was doing this was because they had met in Wave Country. And it really didn't have to make sense when she said it out loud, or if he questioned her.

Because it made sense to her. And frankly who else's opinion really mattered right now?

Sakura pulled him out of the rubble, and found out he was quite a heavy guy. With some effort she had him leaning against a boulder, all the while his head slump, turned, or covered, so she didn't manage to see his face. She kept glancing though, getting really frustrated when her hair would blow into her eyes just when his face was at an angle where she could catch a glimpse.

Her hands were too preoccupied with dispelling the genjutsu and she pushed the desire to see his him to the back of her mind for the time being. Really, she sort of already imagine him to look a certain way, what if he had a plain face after all?

Sakura scanned his body, and he didn't seem to have much physical damage at all. Wow, Kisame just got a whole bunch of bad ass points. Next Sakura place a hand over his chest and like she did with the others, sent a wave of chakra slicing between his chakra and the foreign-

In an instant Kisame was on his feet and in alarm Sakura jumped back three yards.

Her eyes were wide, her body tense, and her hands clinched in reflexive fist-

When the hell did he pick up his sword?!

Sakura was completely disturbed by his speed. His movements were sure and he didn't even look disoriented in the least.

Kenshi, who had been a former ANBU, was at least out of it for a few minutes. Kisame was already staring at her, and even though his hat was hiding his face (how the hell did he manage to keep that _on__?_), Sakura knew he was completely focused on her.

"Why did you do that?" He asked, his voice both curious and amused. Apparently he was also very aware of what had happened.

Once Sakura had recovered from the shock of his insanely quick recovery, and gotten her eyes back to normal sized, she said the thing that first came to mind. It was a surprise to the both of them. "I don't want you dead."

It was true. There were few people that Sakura actually wanted six-feet under. Besides, if it was in her ability to help someone, she would. Okay, and maybe she realized she wanted to bump into him again. One day.

He began to laugh, sharp and deep. "Okay." He said as if humoring a five year old.

Sakura instantly took offense. "_Fine_, the next time we bump into each other, I won't even bother."

He laughed again, And Sakura could tell he laughed with his whole body, that his laugh started deep in his belly. She absently noted that she like those kind of laughs; Kiba and Naruto laughed like that.

"Funny how that keeps happening." He commented easily.

There was an enormous wave of chakra and both turned to the west in alarm. Something happened in Eriko and Kyo's battle... Without a glance at Kisame, Sakura bolted out towards the new battle. Now was not the time for chitchat. She healed him. She was done. Now she had a job to do.

* * *

Kisame watched her run off for a moment, and with a shrug finally began the jutsu he had been dying to do since he stepped foot in this forsaken desert. He summoned five shadow-clones. And each clone gathered more chakra than he ever had for this technique, he did promise an ocean this time.

"Bakusui Shoha!"

In an instant, waves gushed out of his throat and filled the area like a tsunami. Kisame got a lot of crap because the water appeared out of his mouth, but really, it was _clean_.

It took a lot longer than usual, simply because of the sheer volume of water, but he was happy with it. The clones disappeared when their job was done and Kisame was left standing at the bottom of an ocean.

He took the opportunity to finally clean out his gills, get the fishy smell off of him (absently, he wondered if Sakura noticed), and to all around cool his skin.

Now that that was done, he was going to go kill Hamo.

Freakin' Bastard. That damn jutsu had left him practically paralyzed. While he was aware he was in a genjutsu, for the life of him he couldn't break it.

His mind was stuck in this nightmare world. And yeah, Kisame saw some pretty freaky stuff, but frankly, he'd been on the receiving end of the Tsukuyomi before. Enough said.

Kisame swam up to the surface, Samehada strapped to his back. He contemplating taking off his cloak (though he always had trouble finding it after the battle)-

"That was completely unnecessary, Kisame."

Kisame pulled himself up on the water and turned to see Itachi, completely soaked, standing on top of a spire.

Kisame gave him a grin. "Couldn't get out of the water in time?"

"I was occupied." It wasn't like Itachi had stated that any different than usual, but Kisame knew Kajika was dead.

"Well, what did you find out?" He asked only mildly curious.

"Apparently, there were four Rogues. Hamo, Kajika, Taro of Lightning and Doroko of Earth. Their plan was to lure the Sand-nins here, ensnare them in Doroko's genjutsu, and then Taro was to ambush them. He's fighting Leaf-nins at the moment."

"So where's the teapot?

"Doroko. She is also the Doton specialist and is hiding in the rock. She wouldn't even come out to save Kajika's life." Itachi said, not exactly surprised.

"Well… _I'm_ gonna go kill Hamo." Kisame drawled, clearly leaving Itachi to figure out how to get the artifact.

If Itachi was the type to roll his eyes, he would have, but as it was he simply disappeared in a poof of smoke.

Kisame turned to where Hamo was now fighting the Leaf-nins, apparently that Taro guy was dead. He willed the waves to move towards them, riding them expertly. Might as well make an entrance.

* * *

Sakura hovered over Kyo, healing him as best she could. There was just so much blood. Apparently, their opponent also had a nightmarish genjutsu in his arsenal. And whatever had happened in that jutsu had appeared on Kyo's body.

Sakura had found her team in a clearing, having arrived just as Kyo was lured into the jutsu. And while he had only been under for a few seconds, Sakura watched his skin tear itself open. Like there were phantom razor blades gliding over him. Sakura made it just in time to catch him. Her appearance had momentarily distracted the enemy and Eriko took her opportunity to attack him.

That was when the crash of waves rumbled between the spires and a floodgate was opened. In absolute confusion, Sakura carried Kyo and jumped up the spires, outrunning the rising water and found herself on the massive overpass in the center.

Sakura settled there, finding the top relatively flat and suitable to lay Kyo down on. Eriko and the enemy found it the best place to fight as well and now they were only five yards away. Sakura scowled, why wasn't Eriko luring him away?! It wasn't as if she couldn't swim, or walk…

With a cry Eriko impaled the enemy with a long spear, recently summoned from the discarded scroll on the ground. There was a moment of silence, where Eriko let out a sigh of relief. Then like an explosive kunai shooting at the platform, Hamo was careening at them.

With a massive Fuuton projected through her spear, Eriko sent Hamo away from Kyo and Sakura like a bloody kite. When he got himself together, Hamo rushed Eriko, intent on destroying the Leaf-nins that had interfered. It was all Eriko could do just to keeping him occupied. If Sakura had the opportunity to watch, she would have been impressed that Eriko was managing to holding off a former ANBU Captain.

However, Sakura had to deal with Kyo now, take advantage of what Eriko was doing for her team. Kyo's entire body was covered in blood. There wasn't one patch of skin that didn't have some sort of slice, cut or massive flesh wound.

Sakura was frantically trying to stitch him together, mending muscle and skin, but she was getting exhausted and there was just so much _blood_. Granted compared to all the internal wounds she had been healing earlier- Well, Sakura was just glad all the damage was external. Usually the torn flesh would be hard to see, difficult to mend in the pools of blood, but a thin veil of chakra told her where to stitch.

Sakura's breaths were coming out ragged now. She was getting dangerously low on chakra. She glanced at Kyo. While she was trying to heal the major wounds, that genjutsu threw him into shock.

His eyes were glazing over and his mouth with opening and closing. There wasn't much she could do there. He was already out of the genjutsu, he had to fight off the aftereffects himself. Sakura glance over to the carcass of the one that did this. At least Eriko had killed him…

She looked over to where Eriko was fighting Hamo, out in the middle of the platform. Eriko was becoming sluggish. He was so out of her league. Sakura's attention kept switching from Kyo and Eriko.

Sakura was numb now. Professional, clinical. With her mind being exactly what it should be in these situations, Sakura was able to calmly anticipate the moment when she would have to choose whom to save.

Eriko, Kyo or herself.

It was then that with a sickening snap, Sakura looked to see Eriko, a heap of limbs on the ground.

Her neck bent at an inhuman angle.

Maybe because it was the first time one of her comrades died on the field, right in front of her, without Sakura being able to do _anything- _or maybe because she had anticipated this moment ever since she decided to be a medic- or because she studied and studied, and practiced and practiced- maybe even because she felt so numb and exhausted and there was no emotions in her to be overwhelmed with at this point, or maybe it was just instinct- or autopilot.

Whatever the reason, Sakura was able to calmly heal all of Kyo's major wounds_,_ and just as calmly stand up and prepare to protect her teammate with her life.

Hamo nodded at her, and then in seconds he was sending a roundhouse kick to her face. Sakura ducked and sent a devastating fist to his sternum.

He jumped back; having a clear memory of the last time he saw her punch. Her fist swung into the empty air and before her body could rebalance itself; his fist was shooting towards her heart. Sakura lifted her other chakra-loaded hand just in time to catch his. While she saved her heart, the sheer force still sent her crashing back into the waves.

Sakura plummeted through the blue, her back leading the way and her limbs trailing behind her with streams of bubbles. She opened her eyes, disoriented, exhaustion closing in on her.

Kyo! Her mind screamed at her. While he still had breath he was her responsibility, her mind reminded clinically.

With nothing but pure will, Sakura forced her body back to the surface. She only realized how exhausted she was when Sakura felt as if the waves were pushing her up. Man, she did not need any hallucinations right now.

However when her face broke the surface, her body didn't stop moving forward. In fact, Sakura hit the surface in a diagonal line. Like emerging out of a shadow, the air hit her entire body at once. Sakura realized she was being propelled by an enormous wave and straight onto the overpass.

She prepared her arms to catch her, fully expecting the wave to slam her against the stone like a fly swatter. However the wave shifted its force from behind her, to below her feet, safely easing her onto the rock form. Almost gently, she was lowered down and the water swish back into the ocean behind her.

Sakura sensed him before she saw him. Kisame. He stood on the other side of the platform. She looked up, but saw Hamo first. He lay on the ground, his stomach gutted like that Sand-nin. Sakura let out a sigh of relief and began to look over to see him across from her, but stopped when the ground began to swirl. The solid rock turned to mud and her feet began to sink.

Instantly Sakura knew it was a genjutsu and with her last burst of chakra slammed her fist into the ground. Her wave of chakra smashed the rock open and the natural overpass cracked in the middle and the stone began to fall into the ocean.

Sakura jumped back towards Kyo, who was left undisturbed and checked him over. He was okay. No different than when she left him. He could hold on a little longer. Sakura looked up when she detected another chakra signature.

There on a spire stood a young girl, holding what looked like a teapot.

Suddenly there was another cloaked figure behind the girl and it happened so fast, that Sakura missed it. But the girl's body was drifting lifelessly in the water and the cloaked figure had the teapot in his hand.

"Kisame-san." Was all he said. And Sakura instantly remembered that muted voice from before. Then in a puff of smoke he was gone.

Sakura turned to Kisame- and then there was a killer intent of chakra behind her – she turned around too late.

Blood sprayed over her back, over Kyo, over the rock and into the water. There was Eriko's opponent, who they should have made sure was dead. A kunai was in his hand, ready to drive it into her skull.

Sakura let out a gush of breath, her body slumping slightly over Kyo. She looked over him again, it was becoming reflexive. He was unconscious, but his heartbeat was normal.

She looked back over her shoulder and followed the sword that was embedded into the enemies chest. She looked at a familiar blue hand, up the fine muscles of his arm, the ball of his shoulder, the curve of his neck, to his face.

She traced the hard line of his jaw; her eyes lingered on his sharp teeth. They were a pristine white, long and triangular, just poking out from behind his lips. He had prominent cheekbones and a set of gills on either side, right under his eyes. His eyes. There were dark… almost like pointed shadows framing his eyes, which were a vibrant white and the pupil a black pinprick.

Sakura took it all in, every contour, every shadow, every shade of blue. And smiled. Because frankly, someone that had such a powerful air, such an intriguing presence, someone so unforgettable, went perfectly with such a remarkable and fascinating face.

It was better than she imagined.

He tilted his head to the side, wet navy locks dripping over his eyes. He looked incredibly confused, his brows dipping. He looked away from her for a moment; Sakura followed his gaze to a cloak, drifting almost comically on the surface of the water. And if he wasn't a giant of an extremely talented shinobi, Sakura would have thought he was suddenly self-conscious.

He looked back at her. It seemed as if he was studying her himself now. And as the moments ticked by, Sakura got the feeling he was waiting for something. She wasn't quite sure what he wanted to hear, and looked away for a second before it got awkward. Her eyes caught the enemy he saved her from.

"Why-"

"Because I don't want you dead." He said with a very sharp smirk. His analyzing look was gone and now he just looked cocky.

Despite her exhaustion, she found the energy to scowl, it was very clear that he was simply mocking her words from earlier. Like if it was really some big joke between them. With the flex of his arm, Sakura watched him pull the sword out of the carcass. She heard the blade- whatever it was –tear through the tissue, shredding skin and muscle, ripping organs apart as it moved.

This would have once made her sick to her stomach, but with every mission, Sakura found herself becoming more desensitized to what happened to her enemies. She watched as Kisame swung the blade away from her, shaking off the blood and entrails.

"I gotta go, kid." He said turning away from her and walking straight on to the water and over to his cloak. He didn't bother to wring it out and slipped it on. Then he found the wide leather baldric and placed the sword on his back. "You see a hat around here?" he asked her nonchalantly.

Sakura raised a brow, but couldn't help looking around anyway. She couldn't help but feel that the whole situation was suddenly bizarre. Odd…

"Damn it, I always lose it at the last minute." Kisame muttered under his breath. He turned to look at her- and then he quickly turned to the east -then back to her. His sharp white eyes bore into hers and after what seemed like long moment of silence he spoke. His tone was more serious than she had ever heard it. "You never saw me, alright?"

And it was then that Sakura saw the carved slash running through the village symbol on his headband. Blaring alarm signals went off in her head, but her body froze. He seemed to realize she just noticed and gave her a disarming grin (well, it was as disarming as it could be with a set of teeth like that). His tone lost the edge it had.

"Think of it as an exchange for those." His chin motioned to the carcasses of Hamo and her other enemy.

Kyo and herself would have been dead if it wasn't for Kisame. She was a Chuunin, a medic, not a hunter-nin. He was not her responsibility. And from what she had seen of him fight, it would have been suicide.

Sakura was satisfied with that, and stopped looking for justifications to keep him a secret. _For_ keeping him a secret.

"Get out of here." She said easily, motion with her head. "Stranger."

And that was the truth, she reminded herself. What they were really.

He gave her a smirk. "Don't make me regret this, Sakura."

* * *

He stayed just long enough to watch her eyes widened in surprise. Kisame dove into the water, his body weaving through the waves just like he was made to. Man, he wished he could just get rid of his cloak and sword. When was the last time he just swam? Oh well.

His mind went back to the body he left behind. The one that was still breathing. That was a first. He learned long ago to never leave survivors. Especially when he joined Akatsuki. A small group of missing-nins couldn't afford to have the great villages knowing their comings and goings.

But…

He sort of owed her. Back when she took that genjutsu off of him. Granted she didn't save his life, but she did save him some embarrassment of Itachi finding him like that later. And while Itachi wouldn't really say anything about it, he did have a way of rubbing it in Kisame's face with a single dead-pan look, maybe shaking his head a little.

Besides, as long as Itachi didn't find out, as long as she kept her mouth shut, it wasn't that big a deal. Right? It was just one kid.

And well, maybe Kisame was a little impressed with her. Actually for a pink haired twelve year old, he was a lot impressed with her. Not just her Sannin technique, but the fact that she was even able to take the genjutsu off of him. And she did inadvertently get the artifact for them.

It wasn't that she broke the overpass where the Earth girl lurked, Kisame could have done that with his pinky. It was that she channeled chakra into the blow, dispelling the genjutsu hiding her and interfering with the Doton protecting her.

Then there were her healing abilities. He hadn't seen too much, but he knew that bloody Leaf-nin should have been dead. Kisame had never even heard of such a _young_ medic with that kind of skill. The kid must have been born with innate chakra control. There was no learning things like that.

And maybe another reason he let her live was because… Kisame didn't really wanna admit this was one of the reasons… but it was. She smiled at him. When she saw his face she had smiled at him. _Smiled_. A real one. An honest to goodness smile. Her eyes lit up and everything.

To be honest, Kisame had figured that maybe his cloak was on. He actually had to make sure it was still floating in the water. Then he was insanely confused as to why she didn't scream or cringe away in horror. Really, for a small child, it was a first.

No, she actually smiled. At him. Hoshigaki Kisame.

And well, Kisame didn't really feel like killing the first one to ever do that.

Anyway, he figured with his hat off, it was only a matter of time before she noticed the line on his headband. He was hoping his face would distract her to that, which had happened in the past. But she noticed, and that was the only time she stiffened.

He had expected that. Itachi had told him to finish her off (in his own way). Right after he killed that earth girl. Kisame was going to do it too. A tad regretfully, but yeah, he would of gotten around to it.

But… he made his choice. He was already docked in pay anyway. What was there to lose? He could afford to be reckless.

Kisame propelled himself out of the water face first, his feet planted on the tip of a spire that just poked out of the water. Itachi was waiting at the water's edge.

"You know, technically your ocean's a lake." Itachi commented, looking over the great expanse of water and the group of rock formations that were now a dot on the blue horizon.

"What?" Kisame let out, a tad scandalized at the suggestion. He turned and looked over his handy work. The sheer magnitude of the water had forced the sand to form a large basin. It blasted the sand away and pushed it down, making the _ocean_ at least thirty miles wide and Kisame knew it was fifteen miles deep.

Itachi turned to leave. "I believe you still have 98 percent of the country left to flood."

"When we have more time." Kisame said easily, and then followed Itachi's lead into the desert. Regretfully leaving the body of water behind.

They picked up the pace and were careening through the sands. Kisame's mind couldn't help but drift back to Sakura.

Maybe one day he would bump into her again, when she was older, wiser and stronger. When she would be an exceptional kunoichi. There weren't too many of those out there. Which was a shame, because they were _really_ fun to fight.

So one day, maybe he'd get to fight her. And when he inevitably beat her, he'd spare her again. Because there were very few people he generally preferred to stay alive in the world.

"Hold this." Itachi suddenly commanded, tossing the iron teapot over to Kisame.

Kisame rolled his eyes. How come he always ended up being the pack mule? Kisame's thoughts headed to more pressing matters. He was getting hungry…

* * *

.To Be Continued.

* * *

**A/N** – Thanks to everyone that reviewed and added this story to their favorites. I _greatly_ appreciate it.

Gah, this thing took me forever. Computer crashing on me, having to rewrite pages of this. Man, sorry for the _ridiculously_ long chapter. But I really wanted to keep all their little bump-ins confined to one chapter.

Hopefully no one got bored.

Heh, and my Kisame is a bit more casual than I think he is in cannon. He's really fun to write though, so hopefully you guys don't mind.

Love it? Hate it? Lemmie know. Also, if you see any inconstancies, or if something seems off, you know the drill.

-Mellow Penelo


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N** – Life is too hectic.

**.Disclaimer.**

* * *

.Chapter Four.

* * *

Kisame closed the door to his room, running a hand through his damp locks. After training and a refreshing shower, it was time for a meal.

He scratched his chest absently, and licked at his teeth. He was in the mood for udon, specifically wakame udon. Though, in order to acquire some udon, he'd have to head to the nearest village which was two days of travel away…

Though he could make the trip in three hours if he booked it… Nah, Kisame didn't really feel like doing that. That restaurant didn't even serve _wakame_ udon, being so far away from the sea.

Kisame let out a soft growl. Why did he have to be part of a top secret organization that _insisted_ on having their hideouts in remote locations?

Really, it was such a hassle. He'd have to settle for the old standby, whatever meat they had in the freezer. He made his way to the kitchen, his mood already souring at the dismal meal.

Out of habit, he scanned the compound for chakra signatures. He was mildly surprised to find that every member was present. It was a rare occurrence. Everyone always had missions and were away for weeks at a time, sometimes even months.

But it did happen. Kisame didn't mind the close quarters when everyone was on site, but some did.

A door opened down the hall and Itachi's head popped out, "Who used up all the hot water?" As usual his tone was calm, but Kisame picked up the tight lift of irritation.

Itachi turned and those black eyes locked suspiciously on Kisame's clean wet hair.

"I took a cold one." Kisame assured easily.

Hidan chose that minute to saunter out of the hallway bathroom, steam billowing out of the open door. At this base, Hidan was the only one that didn't have a bathroom conjoined to his room. Being Hidan, he found the need to take out the small inconvenience on everyone. Every chance he got.

The door to the bathroom happened to stand between where Itachi's room was and were Kisame stood. So as Hidan walked towards Kisame with a smug look of satisfaction, he got to see the slight narrowing of Itachi's eyes.

Few people, on the entire face of the earth, ever slighted Itachi. Whether it was because of their own intelligence, or even the fact that Itachi was rarely ever fazed, not many people managed to get off of Itachi's indifferent side.

However, if something, or someone bothered Uchiha Itachi, he would deal with it. And not in the way most of his enemies would have expected. Because the truth was that Itachi didn't like to kill unless it was necessary.

Kisame only knew this after years of both interacting and observing Itachi. And the way that Itachi did deal with small irritants, was to get even.

The fact was that Itachi could be rather petty. He was a particular and meticulous person. Itachi liked things done a certain way. Itachi was far from forcing his ways on other people of course, maybe because he never really _had_ too; He hardly ever interacted with people longer than necessary. Kisame was the person he dealt with the most and Kisame went with the flow. He didn't care how things were done, just that they got done. So they never really had many problems.

However, when everyone was at the compound, Itachi did have to deal with people that he would have avoided otherwise. Hidan was one such person.

Ironically, it wasn't Hidan's personality, like his brashness and arrogance that bothered Itachi. Well, not exactly. It was the little things.

Granted, it was the annoying things that got on everyone's nerves. Like the fact that Hidan would trail blood into the hallways after his rituals. He would leave his dirty plates in the dining room. He left doors and windows wide open. In the kitchen, he'd never close any cupboards, drawers and cabinets that he went through. In the library he would leave out every book he pulled off the shelves (which was always an odd and numerous amount). He would slip hand-written Jashin notes under people's doors (usually some scripture or other about repentance). And lately he had been hanging rosaries on the coat hooks by the front door.

Kisame didn't mind that much, because everyone did annoying things. Zetsu picked up things that were lying around and put them away in places that didn't make sense. Kisame had forgotten a book in the commons room once and found it weeks later put away in the pantry. Deidara always had some clay residue on his hands which got on the remote, books, scrolls, kunai, everything; not to mention the slobber his hand occasionally left behind. Sasori left the lights on, the TV on, and every once in a while left wood dust or splinters on the couch.

It was all little things, that didn't really bother Kisame too much. Plus, he liked being in a place that looked lived in.

Itachi dealt with these annoyances with a good deal of patience, but that was because everyone _did_ usually try to stay out of each other's way. But Hidan made no effort. Actually, he had no consideration for the other people in the compound and was completely unapologetic about it.

Therefore, Itachi had no such patience for Hidan's maddening tendencies. So the more Kisame thought about it, maybe it _was_ about Hidan's personality. Well, Kisame just had a good feeling that Itachi would go out of his way to bother Hidan for the next week, or until Itachi was sent on a mission.

The kid just had a penchant for passive aggression, which translated into the petty. He would probably mess with Hidan's hair products; that's where Kisame would start.

With one last promising glare, Itachi went back into his room. Kisame stepped politely aside to let Hidan pass.

"Hey Kisame, how you doin'?" He asked as he made his way down the hall.

"Fine, you?" Kisame nodded with a toothy smile. While Hidan was usually a pain, he was rather well-meaning towards Kisame. He could be rather agreeable if you treated him nicely. Actually, most of the members were like that (so Kisame didn't always understand why everyone just didn't get along).

"I haven't seen Kakuzu all week, excellent." Hidan called and made a fist pump.

Kisame smiled and turned the corner to the kitchen, glad that he got along with Itachi. He really couldn't imagine having a partner that he hated. That would suck.

Entering the double doorway, he saw Deidara leaning on the center island. He was peeling a bright green apple and looked like he'd rather be eating cardboard than the apple. However, when he saw Kisame, his face lit up.

"Kisame! What are you up too?"

"Hello Deidara-san," Kisame nodded, eyeing the boy rather warily. He knew what that hopeful look meant, "I was just gonna grab a fish," He went to the freezer against the far wall.

"Well, why not grab two-"

"Raw," Normally Kisame might have gone ahead and made an extra fish for him, but if he wasn't in the mood to cook one for himself, then he wasn't going to cook one for someone else.

Deidara's response was a much exaggerated sigh. "I'm sure it'll taste better cooked, and it won't be much work to-"

"Deidara-san, I'm sure you can make your own fish," Kisame pulled out a salmon the length of his arm and the width of his skull.

"You know I'm not allowed to anymore!" Deidara finally whined dramatically.

"Oh yeah," Kisame let out under his breath. He went the cupboard and grabbed a serving plate that would accommodate his meal

Deidara just didn't have the patience to cook. He would always wander away and then get distracted and come back hours later to find his meal missing or charred. Though what got him banned was when he decided to put a little clay bird under the grill frame.

Needless to say what resulted was _not_ a deliciously cooked chicken. Usually it was just Pein, Kakuzu, and occasionally Konan, who got the most irritated when stupidity led to senseless destruction of the compound, but since this one involved the kitchen, Deidara had to be sent out on a mission for his own safety.

"You know, Kisame, you've always been my favorite around here. We're buddies, you and me." Deidara gave him a cheesy grin.

"Shut up, Deidara-san," He said easily as he rolled his eyes. Deidara would say anything for a meal.

"Oh, just make me something! I'll starve! Is that what you want?" Deidara flopped pathetically against the counter.

Kisame rolled his eyes again. Knowing Deidara he probably ate an hour ago. Oh, the drama of youth.

Then Kakuzu leaned his head in the kitchen's doorway. "Meeting," He said simply before carrying on down the hall.

Kisame looked down at his meal with longing. Now that the raw fish was being denied, it suddenly became very appealing. Why must that always happen? They weren't allowed to eat during meetings. For some reason, if someone was eating in that room, they always chewed obscenely loud, and no one could ever concentrate what was being said.

"Ha, you have to wait!" Deidara said smugly.

"So do you," Kisame responded, slipping his meal into the fridge.

"Yeah, I'll be thinking about this apple the whole time," Deidara said sarcastically, placing his peeled apple on a plate and handing it to Kisame. He placed it in the fridge alongside his own meal without much ado.

They both made their way down the hall and to the briefing room.

Most of the organization was already there. Kisame took an open seat besides Sasori. When Hidan lazily strolled in, the meeting began.

"With most of the Jinchuuriki officially located, it's now time to move into phase three," Pein began unceremoniously.

Kisame face remained smooth, but inside he was idly wondering when they had entered phase two… And completed it… Was that what locating them was? He could have sworn that was phase one….

"In order to extract the bijous from them, the King of Hell Statue is required. At the moment, the scrolls required to summon it are scattered throughout the countries," Pein turned his attention to Zetsu.

"I have located three of the scrolls, however they are sealed. Theses seals are extremely powerful and if they are not removed-" It was at this point that Deidara opened his mouth with a suggestion, a bored look on his face, Zetsu spoke over him. "in the _proper_ method, it could prove disastrous to our goal."

Deidara rolled his eyes and placed his cheek in his palm, looking completely bored and done with the conversation.

Kisame was a mildly surprised when Konan spoke up. She seemed the type that never spoke without purpose, and it was Pein that usually led the meetings, "I have looked at these seals and it seems as if we need someone with absolute chakra control."

"_Someone that can die," _Zetsu's black half threw in.

"Someone expendable," Kakuzu corrected, looking over at Hidan. Kisame had a feeling that Hidan wasn't suggested because of his immortality.

Hidan caught that drift too, and moved to defend himself, but Pein cut him off, "Hidan does not have the proper chakra control."

Hidan's annoyance, originally directed at Kakuzu, whirled onto Pein, "What did you say?"

The room became very still. Hidan's feelings for Pein were well known. Like _all_ of Hidan's opinions.

Pein was used to this behavior from Hidan. He spoke with the patience and firm strictness of a father putting a rebellious teenager back in place, "Hidan, you have not the patience, efficiency, speed nor endurance to open these seals. The seals are very complicated and require expert control. Not to mention that a massive amount of chakra is needed."

Konan spoke again, "It seems that the chakra required is around Kisame's level."

The whole room turned to him, and like anybody who was suddenly put in the spotlight, Kisame awkwardly looked around with shifty eyes.

"However, Kisame does not have the control required to break these seals."

Everybody kept looking at him. Even after all these years, all the sudden attention made him want to run a hand through his hair, looking off to the side. With a bored look on his face, he resisted. Then Konan's comment sunk in.

"Konan-san, I have excellent control." He said politely, not really miffed at her. He just felt the need to say something since she had just announced that in front of everyone. Granted Hidan's shortcomings were pointed out as well…but still. She nodded in acknowledgement to him.

"Yes," Pein went on "but the level of these seals are _that_ high. In fact, the chances of finding someone of this caliber, someone we can control, are extremely low. Therefore we will find someone with the capacity to _learn_ this level of control and you will aid them, Kisame."

Everybody looked back at him again. Kisame raised a brow, forgetting the stares. Him?

"The person will likely run out of chakra while going through theses seals, therefore they will use your practically endless reserves."

Kisame couldn't help making a face, someone else using his chakra? That was kinda..._personal_… Was it even possible? Deidara beat him to the question.

"How the hell is that suppose to work, un?"

"That is being researched," Pein said with the tactfulness of a politician, "It is known to be possible, however."

"The seals have levels. Naturally starting from simplest to the difficult. It will still take some time to work through all the seals. By the time we get to the most complex, we will have the means to dispose of them," Konan concluded with such graceful finality it was impossible to contradict her.

Which was really rather absurd, because it wasn't a concrete answer or plan at all. It was just assuming that they would miraculously know what to do when the time came. Man, if Kisame had said that, he would have gotten ridiculed out of the room. But since it was _Konan_...

"That leads to the next issue. We must find a tool," Pein said looking over the group.

It seemed outlandish to Kisame that nobody here could do it. Weren't they the most powerful organization in the world; each one of them capable of wiping out countries? Really, someone should qualify for the job…

Sasori had the same idea, "I believe I would be able to do it."

It was then that Kisame was bombarded with an image of Sasori's chakra stings connected to his own, controlling him. Kisame's face contorted with subdued revulsion. He didn't mind Sasori that much, but the idea of _anyone_ controlling him like that was out of the question.

Before Konan or Pein could speak, Kisame spoke briskly and with an edge of steel, "No."

The room turned to look at him again. While Sasori and Itachi looked a bit amused, they were as surprised as everyone else. In the compound, Kisame had the reputation of being reckless, and a bit of a wise-mouth, but he was also known to be quite easy-going and polite. Very, very rarely was Kisame short with anyone. He simply didn't like to offend people.

"I mean to say, Sasori-san," Kisame began again in his usual disarming candor; he paused on how to go about this… He did live with the guy and had to deal with him on a fairly regularly basis.

Pein stepped in for him, not caring much about offenses, "Sasori, while you do have superb control, you cannot open these seals because you do not possess a human body-"

"I do," Sasori corrected calmly.

"I mean your own," Pein said, just as calm. Sasori paused for a moment, and then spoke again, more out of curiosity than anything else.

"Why would that be a problem?"

Konan took that question, "I have looked through many manuscripts and they all state that in order to control someone else's chakra, not their body, you need to become _one_. In breath, heartbeat, chakra flow, everything physical."

Kisame couldn't help himself when he let out a snort of disapproval. He didn't want to be that close with anyone. His mind whirled over all the reasons about why that was so explicitly _wrong_. It went against his very grain.

Konan's lips lifted in a subtle smiled, "It is not as intimate as it sounds, Kisame-san. It's just a matter of timing. Sasori-san cannot do this because he does not have the means."

"Wait a minute," Deidara popped back into the conversation, "Sasori-dono, I thought you could control people's chakra, in a sense. Your puppets do the same techniques they did in life."

"Their chakra is long gone, but their bodies still have the means to execute their personal jutsu; it is just my chakra that fuels them," Sasori explained rather patiently

"Now, we need a vessel," Pein spoke again, "Any suggestions?"

* * *

Sakura let out a long yawn, and idly turned to the window. The sunbeams broke through the thin clouds, providing a pleasant warmth over Konoha. Sakura's gaze glided back to the piles of paperwork she had on the desk before her. Gah, being the Hokage's assistance wasn't all it was cracked up to be. Shisho, more often than not, pawned off as much work as she could on Shizune, who in turn tossed it on Sakura. And Sakura was the bottom of that chain.

Most of it was hospital budget, supplies and inventory. It was a lot of paperwork, filing and a ridiculous amount of tedious double checking. With free healthcare to both shinobi and civilians alike, the organization had to be immaculate for it to run as smoothly and efficiently as it did. Sakura had to personally make sure all the numbers added up and then she gave the official document to Shisho to sign. Apparently, Sakura was one of the very few the Hokage placed complete and utter trust in to do this. Joy.

Sakura scribble down calculations on some scratch paper, the help of an old abacus at her side. She glanced at the clock and decided to take her lunch later-

"Hello!" The door burst open with a gush of air and in swaggered Anko Matarashi.

"Anko?" Sakura let out, surprised. The recently promoted full-fledge Jounin was supposed to be on a mission.

"Sakura! We got back early and you're just the kid I wanted to see," Anko said jubilantly, that wolfish grin of hers in place. She closed the door behind her and then gave the room a quick scan. She looked like a predator searching for prey, and her gaze finally settled on Sakura.

Sakura let out a sigh. As if she didn't have enough work to do as it was. However, the paperwork Anko brought was much more interesting than the endless numbers she found herself shifting through, so Sakura easily pushed it aside the calculations. Besides, Anko's company was always welcomed.

Shortly after Sakura had come back from Suna, she was assigned a mission with Anko. Her other teammates were Ino and Lee, and oddly enough, Anko was the one she related to the most.

When Anko said something cynical and morbid that left Ino and Lee exchanging glances, Sakura saw the odd logic in it. When Anko made a wiry and inappropriate joke, Ino and Lee gave nervous smiles or blank stares while Sakura was doubled over laughing. When Anko made a slightly offensive remark to their irritating client, Lee and Ino looked mortified while Sakura was glad _someone_ had said something.

When Anko jumped through conversational topics like a flea jumping from host to host, it was Sakura who able to keep up with her erratic train of thought.

Sakura's quick thinking found it easy to adjust to Anko's explosive energy. She understood that Anko saw every possibility, and wanted to execute every single one, attack at every angel, now. Therefore Sakura wasn't surprised and could follow her lead without a hitch while Lee and Ino were left scrambling behind.

At first, Sakura really couldn't pin point why she could get so in sync with Anko, like two puzzle pieces sliding into place. Then she realized that it was Lee and Ino that were used to a familiarity with their teammates. They didn't know how to expect the unexpected from an ally, from a leader.

They each came from an established team. They were used to adjusting to other people, reading their allies, used to planning together, used to even predicting their teammates next step and the next. Therefore they understood each other. They had the same train of thought. And the more Sakura thought about it, the more she realized that this was a natural thing that almost every shinobi in Konoha had, except Anko.

Those shinobi that did have this teamwork mindset found it child's play to make new teams and work together. They could connect with each other and often the connection could last past the purpose of the mission. Anko on the other hand…

She didn't think like that at all.

Anko was used to depending on herself. And it wasn't as if she was rude, arrogant or hostile about it, not at all. Actually, Anko was really rather friendly and outgoing. But rather... most Leaf-nins knew how, and were used to, fitting themselves into teams that worked like well oiled machines.

Every knob and screw had its place and purpose, every cog fit into place and worked together. Anko just didn't know how to be a knob, screw or a cog. She was a self-contained machine and didn't know how, nor cared to, become part of the grand scheme of a team.

It wasn't exactly a bad thing. It was just that while a mission _was_ successfully completed, her teammates were left apprehensive for the next time they would be assigned with her.

Sakura on the other hand, had found an odd affinity with not only Anko's personality, but also her approach to battle.

They understood that they didn't know everything about the other, that's why they expected anything and everything. They weren't completely dependent on each other either. They both constantly had a Plan B building in their minds at the same time of executing Plan A. Yet, they also trusted each other to get _their_ part of the plan done. No more, no less. They accepted failure and success, because both were equally expected.

However, the more missions Sakura got with Anko, the more they did expect of the other. The more trust they had in each other. But it was different than those other teams. They didn't become one machine. They were each self-sufficient machines. Sakura found herself becoming her own person, more and more.

Actually, Sakura liked working with Anko more than anyone else because it was so much easier to be her own, when Anko was too. When she would work with other teams, she couldn't help the subtle feeling that settled in the pit of her stomach as she watched them become one, while she remained on her own. And in those cases, a machine had exactly the number of parts that it needed, another cog, another knob or screw, was just awkward clutter.

It didn't take long for Sakura to realize that feeling in her stomach was jealousy. And then she realized what _exactly_ had made her identify with Anko.

Anko placed a melon Ramune on Sakura's desk. Sakura grinned at the carbonated drink; melon was her favorite.

"Thanks, Anko," Sakura reached for the drink and popped the marble top. The drink fizzed and shot in the air and dribbled down the sides.

Sakura rolled her eyes, but laughed, "I should of known, you punk!"

Anko laughed heartily, handing Sakura a handkerchief, "Yeah, you should off. Don't let all that paperwork dull your senses."

Sakura cleaned up the small mess. "Great, now my desk is going to be all sticky," None of her paper work was damaged and she placed it aside for the time being, "What do you have today, Anko?"

Anko pulled out a little scroll from her belt pouch, "Nicked it from a Lighting-nin, but I don't think it was his," She leaned against the chair set in front of Sakura's desk, absently cleaning her fingernails.

Sakura took it from Anko and looked over the markings and the odd symbol. She traced her fingers around the triangle in the center.

"What makes you think it wasn't his?" Sakura asked curiously.

Anko shrugged, "He didn't know how to use it properly. I figured you could take a look at it."

Anko had a habit of bringing back scrolls of all sorts of Justus to Sakura. More often than not, the scrolls contained dangerous Kinjutsu. The first time Anko brought a scroll like this Sakura was understandably apprehensive.

Anko had nonchalantly reminded that there was no law against knowing or studying forbidden jutsus, just against execution. Besides, the law was full of loopholes. After all Naruto's Kage Bushin was a forbidden and even Rock Lee's Lotus, and the two of them used those quite frequently. And don't even get her started on the amount of forbiddens Kakashi and even Tsunade knew.

Sakura, who had not needed much convincing in the first place, quickly gave in and examined the scroll. These powerful techniques gave ninja's an edge, and quite frankly, they were fascinating.

And honestly, whoever gave them the name _forbidden_, was just asking for it.

Ever since that first scroll, Sakura couldn't help but have an appetite for learning more jutsus; Anko shared that. Once, briefly, it had occurred to Sakura that this lust that Anko had, was something that had been instilled by Orochimaru, something that Anko couldn't ever really gouge out of herself like all the other things she had picked up from him.

However, this thought was gone before it really registered. And besides, Sakura shared the need to actively try to improve herself. And every little jutsu helped.

"I gotta run, kid, but how 'bout we meet up for dinner? Hmmm?" Anko suggested.

"Sure," Sakura murmured already opening up the scroll, "Usual place?"

"Always," Anko ruffled Sakura's hair and was out the door.

Absently, Sakura took a drink from what was left of her Ramune. Her eyes ran over the writing in the scroll. She lifted a brow at what she found. Yeah, she'd be taking her lunch now.

* * *

Sakura turned over the peach in her hand, examining the flesh for any flaws. The felt of the skin ran smoothly against her palm and fell into the awaiting basket. She reached for a reddish peach and her hand bumped into another's.

She looked up to see Kakashi on the other side of the cart, "Good afternoon, Sakura," He said pleasantly, his eye closing in a smile.

Sakura smiled back politely, "How are you, Kakashi-sensei?" The sensei was added more out of habit than anything else.

"Good, good," He said with a bobbing of his head, "How has your training been with Tsunade-sama?"

"Good," Sakura said automatically.

There was a pause, where neither of them spoke…with a blink Sakura realized she had nothing more to say. Her eyes slid to the side as she raked her brain for something of interest... Uh… What had she been doing lately? Training, working at the hospital, filing papers… Not worth discussing. Anything _new_? She bought a different brand of shampoo.

Sakura opened her mouth to tell him that, then snapped it close. That was _lame_, there had to be something more to talk about- Her jaw went slack. She was having trouble with small talk, with her _sensei_, as if he was just anybody to her. With a start she realized he was.

His eye opened and his brow creased, "Something wrong?"

Sakura didn't know how her face looked, but she quickly smoothed it into a smile.

"No…" A pang of pain echoed in her heart, and before Sakura could even understand the sudden, even desperate urge, she blurted out, "Would you like to join me for dinner tonight?"

He looked surprised, but then the shadows on his masked showed her a welcoming smile, "I'd love to Sakura. What brought on the sudden invitation? Missing your old teacher?"

His tone was warm and even affectionate. Sakura smiled back, "Ha, maybe. Of course, Anko will be joining us, but I doubt she'll mind your company."

"Anko?" Kakashi's eye opened in surprise, "You're having dinner with Anko?"

Sakura nodded. Few were aware of their little friendship. "Is that a problem?" Sakura said with a little more oomph than she meant too. She couldn't help but feel a little bit defensive for Anko. People were more wary of the women than she deserved.

"Of course not," Kakashi assured easily, "I like Anko. I just can't see you two having anything in common."

For some reason that comment struck her, "Of course not," Sakura repeated with a sweet smile, "See you at Mitsuko's at seven."

And with that Sakura walked away.

It wasn't till she was home, feeling bruised and empty that she realized why that comment had bothered her so much.

He really didn't know anything about her. Yes, two years ago she wouldn't have had anything to do with Anko, but now—Sakura dropped her groceries on the counter.

He still saw her as that little girl that would go chasing after Sasuke. The little girl that had to be pulled out of danger, while everyone else had enough sense to jump out of the way.

The very idea of Kakashi still seeing her that way made her so angry, that tears began to well in her eyes. Sakura let out a growl of frustration and wiped them away before any could fall. For some reason she wanted Kakashi to see her as someone strong. Someone that didn't need saving. Someone he could depend on.

However, if anyone in the village remembered her as she was, as that sniveling foolish girl, it was Kakashi. Sakura couldn't help but feel that once he saw how she changed, that it would _then_ be true.

Angrily she wondered why she invited him to dinner in the first place. If she had stayed to chat longer today, their small talk would have turned awkward, both having very little to say to the other. Her hands stopped putting the groceries away.

Sakura suddenly grasped exactly how strange they had become to each other. She had acknowledged that fact before, but for some reason it became so much more real when she was in his presence. And then that desperate, intense, desire to bring Sasuke back clawed at her insides, and now that desperate, intense desire swiped to get Kakashi back too.

Because Kakashi was gone now too, in so many ways…

Sakura scowled at herself. Why was it that she was so frantic, so obsessed with reuniting Team Seven? So scared of losing anyone else... She didn't understand this sudden need to pull Kakashi back to her because... he had been absence from her for two years now. Just like the boys.

And she knew that. But standing there in his presence, and still having him so far away made her realized that that wasn't how she wanted them to be.

And that urge was confusing, because not that Sakura would ever admit it to anyone, but a part of her was intensely bitter towards Kakashi.

It was always clear in her mind that first and foremost, Sakura was to blame for all her faults. However, as her teacher, wasn't it Kakashi's job to help eradicate her of those? For those months together, she could only remember being scolded about her girlish fantasies on a few occasions. And not once did she remember being pushed as hard as the boys.

No. Kakashi was satisfied with her mediocrity. When it was made clear that Sakura had an edge with chakra control, Kakashi didn't help her take advantage of it. Actually, he used it to push _Sasuke_.

Granted, back then she would not have pushed herself to reach the tops of those trees like the boys did, because she herself _was_ satisfied with just reaching that middle branch. But as her teacher, Kakashi _shouldn't_ have been. He simply sent her to go guard Tazuna instead of pushing her to train. She wondered if she would ever forgive him for that...

In fact, even the flaws that Naruto had, the jumping in before he knew what he was doing, the hot-headedness, the outspokenness that got him into trouble, were ignored or brushed aside by Kakashi.

But in the meanwhile, Sasuke's flaws of teamwork and arrogance were treated. Kakashi spent more time teaching Sasuke than Naruto and her combined.

And back then she had been able to justify it. Kakashi saw himself in Sasuke. Sasuke was a prodigy; it was best to give him all the advantages possible. Sasuke had so little flaws that Kakashi would finish mending them quickly. Then he would work on Naruto, and then her.

All those seemed so absurd now, because they were all for naught. Sasuke left.

And Naruto left. And she was still there.

And to be honest, it was unfair to her and Naruto. Luckily, Naruto had the potential and the ability to make up for all the neglect he suffered. But Sakura had to scramble and beat her heart out to catch up and make up for it. At least she hadn't been neglected at the academy like Naruto was.

Sometimes Sakura wondered how Naruto was so strong. She doubted she would ever be able to catch up if she had been forgotten at the academy. Even now, deep down, in the dark recesses of her mind she was still terrified she'd never catch up to them.

But Sakura wasn't going to blame everything on Kakashi. Because she did understand that she had been spoiled and arrogant. Perhaps Kakashi may not have seen her as ready or strong enough for the grueling training methods he made Naruto and Sasuke go through…

But wasn't it his job to make her ready? To get that arrogance and childish out of her? At least...try?

Each team had a strongest and weakest member. And the more Sakura thought about it, only two teachers had actually done a good job of dealing with them.

Gai taught all of his students differently, but he didn't neglect anyone. He taught them exactly how they needed to be taught. Lee was given someone to emulate, someone to look up to, because for whatever reason, Lee was the last person he wanted to be. Tenten was given the opposite, given a mentor to contemplate, not to blindly follow, because the first person she needed to be was herself. Neji was given cool guidance, a hands-off approach, because no one needed to reassure themselves of freedom like Neji.

Kurenai had a balance of stepping in and teaching her students and stepping back and letting her students learn. And like Gai, she gave her students what they lacked, what they needed. Shino needed more warmth and cordiality. Kiba needed discipline and control. Hinata needed strength and confidence. Kurenai also understood that these were things that a team learned from each other.

Those two teachers understood that everyone learns differently. Needs to learn different things. Asuma and Kakashi on the other hand…

Asuma lucked out. He got to be laid back with his students because they were already a proven, tested team, miniatures of their parents. Each kid had come from a shinobi clan and had a specialized technique. They had parent's teaching them; parent's who knew their strengths and weakness. It was also very lucky that Shikamaru, Ino and Choji had been best friends. Asuma reminded them of this, helped solidify this and added the finishing touches to their teamwork, but he didn't start it.

However, there is not a shadow of a doubt in Sakura's mind that Team Ten would not be where they were today if it wasn't for Asuma. He saw what their parents were blind too. He knew that Shikamaru was hounded at home and needed a break at training. Knew that Choji simply needed opportunities to believe in himself, not just assurances. Knew that Ino's petty arrogance needed to be nullified by having to depend on her teammates. And frankly all of those needs were met with gentle guidance. Asuma's laid back style happened to be _exactly_ what Team Ten needed.

Kakashi…he was given a bunch of misfits.

The stoic number one rookie with a disdain for attachments and a horrific family history. The plain, run-of-the-mill kid, with a penchant for girlish delusion and snobbery. The obnoxious bottom-of-the-class loser with an annoying streak and a starved appetite for attention.

Yeah, a laid back approach did not work. Who in their right mind would say, "Hey, here's an idea! Let throw these three together, just to see what happens!"

Sakura scowled at her thoughts, but allowed a mirthless chuckle.

Almost all of the rookie nine came from ninja families, therefore had two teachers. Their assigned teachers and their parents. Except for Team Seven. Sasuke, because of the Uchiha Massacre, had no one at home. Sakura was the daughter of civilians. Her parents had already taught her anything that could be remotely useful to a shinobi and it helped her excel in class--that is, on paper. And finally, Naruto had no family to begin with.

Kakashi was their _only_ teacher, the only hand guiding them. Then again, maybe that's why she shouldn't be so bitter, so hard on Kakashi. A teacher's guidance can only reach so far before the pupil has to make his or her own decisions.

And after all... there was a time when Team Seven was whole, and happy, and _complete_.

So maybe that idea was just crazy enough to work. Because, for awhile… it did… Despite Sasuke's arrogance, Naruto's annoying tendencies, Sakura's outright foolishness and Kakashi's favoritism, it _had_ worked.

Sakura put a carton of milk in the fridge and finished putting away the groceries. She glanced at the sink, spotting her dirty coffee mug from that morning. Absently, she set about to washing it.

Sakura wondered, sometimes, how life would have been so much different if the teachers were different, if the teams were scrambled. It's hard to imagine, and in the end despite everything and everyone, she can't help but feel possessive of Team Seven, of her boys.

She didn't want Kakashi to teach anyone else. She didn't want Naruto to learn with someone else. She didn't want Sasuke to fight along someone else. And in a shinobi village it's irrational and unrealistic, but it's there. The fact that deep down Sakura feels that Team Seven belongs to each other. Even if the members don't agree.

And that last fact, the one were Sasuke thinks he's his own island, the one were Kakashi thinks he can move on, go back to how things were before he had a team, the one were Naruto thinks he can bring back Sasuke by himself, it's the one that hurts the most.

Sakura watched the suds of soap slide down the curved ceramic of the mug and down the drain. As she reached to turn off the water, a tapping was heard of the window before her.

The minuscule dipping of her brows was the only outward sign of the sudden annoyance she had for herself. So deep in thought was she that she didn't even notice a shinobi crouched in the window right in front of her. She looked up away from the sink, and luckily, the ninja she saw made her smile.

There was Kiba stooped like a frog, his forearms on his knees and a fanged grin on his face. His hood was up and it made him look like a lion about to leap threw the window and devour her. Akamaru stood beside him, his tail wagging. He was out of his puppy years and outgrew riding in Kiba's hoodie. With Kiba crouching down, they were the same height.

Sakura opened the French window and stepped back, "What's up Kiba?"

Kiba let himself in and jumped over the sink, Akamaru following behind, "Hey, Sakura!" He began rather jovially.

"You're in a good mood," Sakura said with grin, her previous dark musings being carried away with the warm breeze. Kiba's moods were always contagious.

He gave her a fanged grin, "We got a mission, and your services are requested."

* * *

He didn't mean to involve her. Really he didn't. In fact, he hadn't thought of that girl in a year. It was just a single comment that had inadvertently reminded him of her.

Everyone was discussing potential vessels, when Deidara spoke up. Man, couldn't that kid just keep his whining to himself?

"I don't know of anyone, so can I just go? I'm starving, un."

How exactly had that reminded him? Well, Kisame's mind works in mysterious ways.

He instantly thought of that salmon in the fridge. He was rather disappointed that that was the only thing he had to look forward to eat. He'd rather have had a Yakizakan with a misosake marinade. Then he tried to remember the last time he had one of those. Felt like forever-- Wave Country-- Then bam!

Kisame remembered her. And in less then a second, his mind was flying to Suna and that battle. He was very good at connecting the dots (in ways few people could even conceive), good at finding ways to meet his goals.

At the moment, Akatsuki's goals were his goals. So in this case, the dots weren't very far from each other and happened to be numbered. It didn't take a genius to figure out that the girl was a good candidate. And it was always the very simple plans that made Kisame overlook the consequences.

Therefore his mind was a backward shot to the goal. She was young and a very good medic. Meaning two things: good chakra control and book smarts. Ping!

And not even a heart beat after Deidara had spoken; he capriciouslythrew her to the wolves.

The second he realized what exactly it meant to bring her up, he kinda regretted it. He preferred her alive, didn't he? It wasn't really good for someone's health to get mixed up with Akatsuki. But it was too late to take it back. Not to mention it would have looked rather… odd.

Kisame was impulsive. And the only reason he ever stopped a train of thought, was if the end was absolutely detrimental to his own life (and we're talking certain death). Otherwise, Kisame just dealt with it.

Well, there was still hope. She wasn't the only one suggested. Some kid from Earth Country and another from Lighting were being watched by the other teams.

And here he was, sitting at a tea shop just down the block from her apartment. They had been watching her for a month now, and how no one took notice of two black cloaked men, Kisame would never know. Honestly, what was up with Konoha? They slipped through pretty easily last time too. Kisame figured they'd amp the security. Well, it's not as if they were out frolicking down the streets, they _did_ stay low. They weren't renowned criminals for nothing. Still, Kisame often wished he wasn't quite so good at his job. Was it too much to ask for a challenge?

Itachi sat across from him looking down the street at nothing in particular. Absently, Kisame wondered if Itachi was feeling nostalgic about being in his hometown. He wasn't last time, was he? Though Kisame had a feeling he did. In fact, every now and then Itachi's gaze would focus on certain people that were walking down the street. He figured they were people Itachi once knew.

Kisame's mind went back to his own village for a moment. A couple scenes came to his mind's eye. He looked up at the ceiling and sucked on his teeth. It was easier to remember the bad times than the few good, and Kisame never liked to dwell there.

He reached for the last mochi cake and Itachi snatched it at the last second. Calmly, Itachi put the whole thing in his mouth, his eyes pointedly on Kisame. He then slowly chewed it, as if saying "There."

Kisame rolled his eyes. Itachi didn't even _want_ it. He was such a light eater. However, he would eat it just so Kisame couldn't. And being the senior of the duo (in membership years), Itachi held onto the money, so Kisame couldn't order anymore. Kisame took a disgruntled sip of tea. Sometimes it definitely got annoying answering to someone six years your minor… The things he put up with.

Itachi had not been very pleased with Kisame when he found out he left that little girl alive. It could have endangered them and caused unnecessary obstacles. Itachi was _nothing_ if not thorough.

But nothing had come of it. Which was why Itachi didn't bother with a verbal reprimand, just his passive exasperating tendencies.

Akatsuki had not been implicated and Kisame knew she kept her mouth shut. Hell, he was sure she even lied for him, which was why he actually did find himself hoping that one of the other prospects would be chosen. Not many people had actually done that for him without motive. Or was she scare—Kisame preferred to think that she hadn't been.

No she hadn't. She smiled— the corner of Kisame's lip reeled back in self annoyance. The more he thought of her, the more he wished he hadn't mentioned her. There was still some chance that one of the other prospects would be chosen, right?

However, as Itachi had stated once they gave her information to Zetsu, "It's not looking good for your little friend."

He wasn't malicious about it; in fact if Kisame didn't know better, he would have thought that Itachi was… sympathetic? No, that wasn't the word. Rather, he was slightly empathic. Itachi was always the intuitive one.

Kisame absently picked at his teeth with a toothpick. With each day, it became more and more apparent that they hit the jackpot with this girl. Man, it was as if she was made for this one purpose.

During that month, she was assigned on one week long mission and two short two-day missions. They followed her on all of them and she did her job excellently. Even Itachi found her chakra control to be quite extraordinary for her age.

She came from a civilian family, so no worries about clansmen guarding her or even family being capable of coming after her. According to Zetsu, that was a problem with the other prospects.

Good grades at the academy. Her evaluation stated that she was very smart, but not exactly good at applying what she learned on paper in real life situations. Which meant that she would learn what they taught her, and she wouldn't be able use it against them.

She was a rising medic, trained by the Hokage, which happened to be one of the best medics in history. There were comments in her file, made by the Hokage herself, that she had an extraordinary potential.

And the most convenient part, the one that was actually rather baffling, was that she was almost always alone. All the other prospects were with their teachers, teammates, or family, but she wasn't.

And it wasn't a self-imposed isolation like Kisame had seen so many other ninja do either. In fact… after both observing her habits, her relationships, and reading her files, it was almost like… neglect.

As if Konoha didn't really know what they had. Really, it was all too easy to just whisk her away.

Though, it wasn't as if no one would notice, quite the contrarily. She put in endless, crucial hours at the hospital, examined a forest worth of paperwork that was essential to both the villages finances and healthcare system. Kisame found it easy imagining the chaos that would ensure should she would suddenly disappear.

Maybe he was reading too much into it (he didn't have much else to do during surveillance). Perhaps it was just a thankless job that fell on to an unusually capable Chuunin. Maybe it wouldn't have seemed so thankless if she wasn't always alone. She _was_ just a kid. And maybe she was just a victim of circumstance, so rather than outright neglect; it was just someone that fell through the cracks.

Because while Sakura was apprentice to the Hokage, her teacher was just that, the _Hokage_. She couldn't exactly spend that much time training with her pupil; she had the equivalent of a small country to run.

She didn't regularly train with a team either. Her team had broken up. The irony of it all was that her teammates had been Itachi's little brother, Sasuke, and the resident Jinchuuriki. Her former teacher was Copy-nin Kakashi. They had fought that guy before (and Itachi _owned_ that battle). But her teammates were gone, who knows were. Actually, last Kisame heard Sasuke was with Orochimaru (Kisame had a feeling Itachi was rather disappointed about that) and the Jinchuuriki was gallivanting around the world. And her teacher did his own thing too.

There wasn't much to say about her parents. She seemed to make a small effort to visit them once a week, usually for lunch or dinner. They called her often, though the conversations didn't last long.

There was one Jounin that she met with, rather infrequently since she was often out on missions, but it turned out to be Orochimaru's former pupil. Small world…

So she spent most of her time training in an empty field, working solo in a busy hospital or cooped up in her office doing paper work. It wasn't to say she never went out with friends or anything.

But she kept mostly to herself. She met with friends from her academy days once a week, two times at most. She acted different when she was with her friends. It was hard to pinpoint, since Kisame didn't exactly expect her to smile and laugh by herself (which would have been strange). But it was almost like two different people.

With her friends she was easygoing and quick to smile, sometimes arguing with that blond friend of hers or just laughing along while someone told a story.

When she was by herself, she seemed more serious, even intense. She was always in her head, a soft frown constantly on her face.

It was odd to see someone like that at her age, especially a girl. He'd seen a lot of loner boys in his day (hell, _he_ was one), but not girls. Shy girls maybe, but not focused like she was. From what Kisame had seen, they were supposed to be talkative. Oh, and they constantly surround themselves with people to give them attention, and enjoy purchasing useless things, right? Right?

She wasn't like that. Actually, she seemed to dislike those frivolous things. Intensely.

Kisame took a sip of his tea. The point of knowing all this was to find some leverage. Sure, it was simple to just take her and threaten her life to do what they said, but Pein was usually much craftier than that.

It would also be much more efficient if she helped them willingly. She would learn the jutsu faster; they wouldn't have to keep her on a short leash. It would have gotten troublesome having to baby-sit her.

Kisame's eyes slid back to the front of the tea shop. By now her chakra signature was imprinted into his memory. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Itachi shift ever so slightly. They watched her walk by, her hands full of groceries.

Kisame raised a brow at her. Today she looked even more withdrawn, even dejected. She was looking at her feet, her brows dipped and her mouth in a small frown. Absently, Kisame wondered why.

Itachi motioned for them to move and in a second they were gone. They found themselves perched on a tower that had a perfect view of her apartment. They melted flawlessly into their surroundings, via genjutsu. Kisame watched her put groceries away and quickly grew bored with much of it.

A shinobi from the east caught his eye, leaping over the rooftops with a dog beside him. Kisame recognized the boy; his antics always made her laugh the hardest.

They watched as he perched himself outside her window and tapped on the glass. She opened the window with one of those real bright eyed smiles on her face. Like the one she had givin Kisame those years ago...

The boy leapt into her apartment and the dog followed.

Kisame felt Zetsu's chakra subtly brake through Itachi's small genjutsu. Itachi had been expecting him after all.

"He picked your medic, Kisame," Zetsu said straight to the point.

The corner of Kisame's lip lifted up in disapproval. Oh well. It was sorta nice having someone on the preferred alive list for awhile… But all things must come to an end.

* * *

An hour later Sakura stood with Shikamaru, Lee, Kiba and Akamaru in front of the gate. It was a simple scroll delivery. They were to be back in three days. So without much ado, Shikamaru sent them up in a quick formation and they were off.

They stayed quiet for a little bit, just getting comfortable with their pace and formation. Sakura moved effortlessly through the branches, observing her surroundings. Under the vibrant green canopy there was a gentle breeze and a cool ambiance. Strong beams of sunlight broke through, looking like pillars of light.

"Hey Sakura, have you heard about another diplomatic mission to Suna?" Kiba called back curiously.

Sakura landed and threw herself into another leap; her eyes locked on Kiba's quick form ahead, Akamaru just a step behind him

"No," Sakura turned to Shikamaru, who leapt along beside her, "Have you?"

He had almost as much access to the information that went though the tower as she did.

However, Shikamaru shook his head. Though his dipped brows showed he did have an interest in the topic; and Sakura, being a teenage girl, wondered if it had anything to do with Temari.

"Would you guys listen to me? I have insider information!" Kiba called back impatiently, as if they had just gone off in a whole tangent about some frivolous topic.

Though, Sakura knew that Kiba just got annoyed that she assumed Shikamaru knew more than him.

"What kind of information? Is it reliable?" Lee spoke up from behind. Kiba was indeed known to present absurdity as fact. He was never malicious; he just tended to exaggerate things. He called it spicing things up.

"Of course it is," Kiba also got excessively offended when you question his information, especially if you had good reason. He went on slyly, "I can't exactly name my sources but-"

"Was it your sister?" Shikamaru cut it calmly.

"No!" Kiba said in such a way that made it clear that it was, "But it doesn't matter. It seems that they've been having trouble with spies and infiltration in the government."

"Wait a minute, isn't that highly classified information?" Lee asked, his tone worried. Sakura paused as well. She hadn't heard anything about that. However, the information Kiba got from his sister was always true. Maybe distorted by Kiba in an effort to make it more exciting, but basically true. So chances were that a single Chuunin or other lowly official was under vague suspicion, with no actual investigation going on.

"We're their allies," Kiba rolled his eyes and used a much exaggerated tone to show _just how silly_ Lee's worries were. He even felt the need to go on, "We won't use it against them."

"Still Kiba, way to discuss that out in the open," Shikamaru said, not deterred by Kiba's tones. After all he was Shikamaru; no one could try to act like they were smarter than him. Especially not Kiba.

"Yeah, 'cause I'm sure Suna's enemies are going to follow a group of mediocre Leaf Chuunins, and me and Akamaru for information about Suna," Kiba's tone was by now just slightly belligerent. He was obviously not pleased with their scolding.

Though that wasn't why Kiba called them mediocre, that's just the way he was. So the boys took no offense, knowing they were quite good ninjas. But Sakura couldn't help rolling her eyes at his quip. She wondered when she wouldn't need to tell herself not to take things personally. She knew Kiba didn't mean anything by the comment.

But something about the words mediocre, average, common… Something about them just bothered her to no end.

"Anyway," Kiba said nonchalantly, his annoyance already forgotten, "I brought it up because I thought Sakura might know something about it."

Her brows dipped and her jaw tightened. Her tone perfectly natural, "Since when are you so interested in politics, Kiba?"

"There's more to this hot bod than charm, Sakura," Kiba said, a smirk in his voice.

He then took the time to stop so that Sakura's quick leap brought her beside him. Sakura was already smiling at his humor. With an overly sleazy grin and a mock-lecherous look in his eyes, he wiggled his brows at her just in time for Lee to crash into him.

Kiba let out a loud, "Umph!" all his limbs flying behind him as his body lurched forward with Lee at his back. The two toppled to the ground in a fantastic ball of appendages and with a loud crash made it to the ground with the gracefulness of a hippo.

Sakura was left struggling to breath, wheezing with laughter. Her eyes clenched shut and her arms wrapped around her stomach, her shoulder leaning on a tree trunk.

Shikamaru stood beside her, shaking his head in disapproval. Despite himself, his shoulders were shaking with mirth.

After a few moments of watching Lee and Kiba untangle themselves in a daze, Sakura still couldn't breathe.

"Wow," Shikamaru shook his head, "Kiba stop messing around. We got a job to do."

"You guys okay?" Sakura gasped out, wiping at a few tears.

"Sorry, Kiba! I didn't realize you stopped!" Lee apologized, obviously feeling quite distraught over completely taking Kiba _out_.

"Yeah, well…." Kiba just murmured, rubbing the back of his head. He was just a little embarrassed, "Don't worry about it. It was my fault," Kiba dismissed, hoping to salvage his dignity.

"So what else is in that bod of yours, Kiba?" Sakura called, a big grin on her face, "It's definitely not grace."

"Shut up, Sakura," Kiba said. He and Lee jumped back up to the branches where Akamaru waited. Then muttered under his breath, "I'll show _you_ grace."

That sent Sakura into another fit of laughter. Shikamaru chuckled, while Lee let out a hearty laugh and even Akamaru's tailed seemed to wag faster with amusement.

Once again they were off, back into formation. They listened to the air whipping past them, and the sound of their feet landing on the branches.

Sakura kept a soft smile on her face. There were still a few people around that made her feel like she was back on Team Seven. And Kiba was one of them.

Almost everything he did, she could easily see Naruto doing. Looking back, a lot of the things that Naruto had done or said that had annoyed her, were actually rather funny in their absurdity.

Everything he did… Sakura let out a sigh.

Really, she didn't realize how Naruto had become such a big part of her life till he was gone…. She didn't notice at first. Didn't notice how her days became… quieter… dimmer….

Till the days became a monotonous routine, it was like her world was diluted with gray.

Naruto was such a vibrant ball of energy, a constant source of activity. There was never a dull moment with him. With him gone, Sakura was at a loss.

But Kiba... Sometimes, the way Kiba moved, with so much life, or the way he would get determined and rush head first into a goal, made her feel like she was with Naruto.

Being with Kiba also made her wish she had been more patient back then. It made her wish she could have just laughed at the stupid things Naruto had done, not felt the need to correct them.

She scowled at herself. Who was she to correct anybody-- to think it was okay for her to smack him at the slightest annoyance --she stopped herself.

Sakura, quite frankly could spend the rest of the day berating herself with regrets over attitudes and actions.

She needed to let go of the past and just work to be better. Unfortunately, the three most important people in her life were in her past now (or might as well have been). When she remembered them, she remembered how she was. How she didn't appreciate people, or see them for what they were, or even see them at all.

She had vowed to herself to never, ever, do that again.

So when Kiba said something dumb without thinking, or did something that would have instantly been avoided, if he had paused to _think_, Sakura could only laugh and appreciate the boisterous chaos that ensued.

She wondered if she would have been closer to Naruto if she had done that back then...

"Anyway, do you know anything about it, Sakura?" Kiba spoke up again.

"Huh?"

"About what's going on in Suna!" Kiba said his tone exasperated, and then went on more calmly, "You were the one we sent last time, on the diplomatic meeting. Didn't you get in trouble or something?"

"No," Sakura's face went instantly neutral, "My team just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time."

It was something Sakura had said every time the question was brought up. She said it was such a tone of nonchalance that no one ever asked for more. And really, they didn't expect there to be anything else but that.

Lee began to asked questions and pretty soon they were talking about Gaara being Kazekage.

While she was usually very vocal in that topic, feeling personally connected and proud of Gaara, Sakura's thoughts couldn't help falling back to that last battle in Suna.

It would have been a highly successful mission. And in the report it was. Every objective was met, and Sakura proved to be quite useful, and arguably, essential to stabilizing the financial crisis in Suna. The small party sent to help relieve missions handled an impressive workload and had a 98% success rate. All in all, it was the diplomatic mission countries dreamed off.

Except on the way home, Sakura was detained and interrogated by Sand ANBU under suspicion of _treason_. Which had almost set off an entire war all over again.

She remembered sitting on a small island in the middle of a flash flood, tired, drained and ready to pass out.

She remembered telling him she wouldn't speak a word to anyone, watching him disappear into the horizon. Then tall dark shadows towering over her.

In her mind it was in slow motion. Sakura turned toward the shadows, her wet hair stuck to her face, her hands clenched, feeling sticky blood in her palms, and then a menacing group of ANBU.

They took one look at the four dead bodies. Three littered the ground, one floated in the water. One Leaf-nin, three rogues. One kid drenched in blood, barley breathing. And Sakura. Who had a single sword slice on her calf that she got on accident.

Sakura, having something to hide, pushed it far from her mind. She shouted at them that Kyo was worse than he actually was, shouted that he needed to get to a hospital, hoping that they would let her take him.

They decided to interrogate her themselves right then and there.

It was one of the shadiest moments in Sakura's entire life. She was kneeling on the floor clutching Kyo like a security blanket and five impossibly intimidating, exceptionally trained ANBU circled around her. It was like vultures hanging over dead meat.

They're tones were clipped, straight to the point and something in the tenor promised disaster if she didn't give them the right answers.

Sakura could only scramble quickly for half-truths and try to invent a straight story on the fly. She was so chakra drained by then, that she didn't shake, she didn't stutter, she was calm and looked straight into the dark slits of their masks.

All her inner panic didn't show, she told herself to relax her grip on Kyo and her body listened.

Sakura erased the two missing-nins and created another rogue that took off with the valuable artifact.

A few of them believed her, others didn't. They kept asking and prodding, making her repeat herself, twisting their questions hoping she'd fumble, contradict herself.

It was when they began to ask her about the manner in which both rogues were killed. As if a wild animal had eaten then alive, their intestines and organs torn and ripped. Right when she was going to tell them she had a technique like that, she remembered one of the sand-nins had those same wounds.

Instead, she told them the last rogue had turned on them, something about getting a bigger cut of the profit. A few shuffled their feet in annoyance and Sakura narrowly avoided a war.

She didn't even want to think of the full magnitude of what would have happened if they caught her lying.

Finally, Kenshi and Ametsu came to her rescue. Kenshi had been outraged to see Sand so suspicious of their allies after all they had done to help rebuild Suna. Questioning a fresh Chuunin while her teammate lay dead a few yards away and the other was barely holding on, looked like a slap on the face. Being a former ANBU captain, he was quick and infallible in his logic and diplomacy.

Sakura had expected to be taken back to Suna, if not to be further questioned, for Kyo's sake. She had told them that Kyo was badly injured, and he was quite the gruesome sight. However, she had a feeling that once there, Sand would not let them leave so easily.

Kenshi seemed to have the same idea and with a few more diplomatic maneuvers made the reluctant ANBU members bid them a safe trip.

With a quick bird summon, the entire team was on their way home. Sakura then had to relay the entire thing back to Kenshi, then to Shisho. Sakura supposed the reason she was so heavily questioned was because it involved two countries, and that artifact was practically a national treasure.

The whole ordeal made her second-guess everything.

Who exactly was Kisame?

As soon as she got home and the fiasco died down, she began to research. Being the Hokage's assistant had its downs, but it definitely had its ups. She had almost infinite access to files, histories and records of every ninja in the village, every known country, every foreign nin and every missing-nin.

After Sakura had stayed late to finish some boring paper work, she sneaked into the records and found him there.

Hoshigaki Kisame.

In all honestly, it wasn't difficult to pin point him. She knew he was a missing-nin from Mist Country, and his first name. In actuality, all she needed was the word blue. There was a large folder for missing Mists-nins, and all alphabetical by last name. That could have taken a wee bit of time, but all she had to do was reach for the one with the blue Post-it note.

Ping! There he was.

She didn't know why exactly someone felt the need to put that there, maybe their own little joke. But she didn't dwell on it when she looked through his file.

It was protocol for a country to announce missing-nins and to send their picture and a small amount of info to their allies. Telling them to be on the lookout and not to trust them if the shinobi came in their Country's name.

Sakura remembered pulling the little picture out from its paperclip and holding it closely. It was his I.D picture, probably his official Jounin picture. He was in his late teens, 16 or 17. He wore a plain black T-shirt with a fitted white taiko happi coat. Instead of the headband he had now, he had a simple one around his upper shoulder. His hair was a spiky blue tuft at the top and bangs hanging rather pleasingly around his eyes. It was long at the sides and brush against his high cheekbones.

There was something really different between this Kisame and the one she had met; something in his eyes. They looked more human. Softer. Sakura had wished it were a bigger picture so she could pinpoint exactly what it was.

But the question remained, what had he done? What was he going to do that warranted such a hostile interrogation? What did he need an ancient Teapot for?

It was only months later that she found out that the teapot they stole was the very same that once housed Gaara's demon, Shukaku.

Which threw her for another loop. For the life of her she couldn't think of what one would need with it. It wasn't as if the demon was in there now. It was in Gaara.

But then she remembered that ninja, missing or not, were tools. It was the client's business why someone was needed dead, or why they needed someone alive. The client's business what the purpose of a scroll was, or why a delivery was so important. It was not a ninja's job to ask questions of their leaders. Orders were orders.

Really, if Sakura thought of it, was a Missing-nin's job really all that different from hers, or the boys around her?

But there was something about missing-nins... What was it that made them leave their home, the place that made them who they were? Perhaps it was the money. She only got a quarter, if that, of what the client actually paid for the mission. While the price of the missions fluctuate depending on many circumstances. Sakura was paid a fairly consistent rate based on a missions level. D being the least lucrative and S the most, with a number of factors considered or bonuses added.

A missing-nin must of made a bundle with no middleman. But Kisame didn't seem the type to be that interested in money...

Sakura audibly scoffed at her thought. As she would know anything based on three chance meetings-

"What's that suppose to mean, Sakura?" Kiba called back, a playful smirk in his tone. Sakura suddenly became aware that she had cut into their conversation.

"It means that your plan is ridiculous," Shikamaru supplied for her. Sakura just glanced between them trying to figure what she had missed.

"It would never work," Lee threw in, laughing.

"It's fool-proof! Fool-proof!" Kiba cried out, Akamaru barking enthusiastically side him.

"It was made by a fool," Shikamaru muttered rolling his eyes, but Sakura caught the smile he was fighting to keep of his lips.

"I have no idea what you guys are talking about," Sakura said shaking her head with a smile. And she never would.

With narrowed eyes, Sakura jerked to a stop as she sensed a genjutsu, "Kiba!" She called, her eyes swiveling to him.

His back was to them, and he was in a crouch just having jumped to a thick branch. Rigidly, his body straightened and his spine became stiff. Akamaru stayed on the branch Kiba was at just a moment before, a low growl in that back of his throat. He stopped just before the wall of the genjutsu began.

"Sakura!" Shikamaru hissed from beside her

Sakura nodded, closed her eyes and slapped her hand together to dispel the jutsu off him. She sent out a strong chakra wave, and opened her eyes to see Kiba stock-still. Akamaru was beginning to whine at him.

Shikamaru pulled out a shuriken and quickly hurled it. He grazed Kiba's arm, hoping that the pain would shake his body out of it.

And Kiba reacted, but not in the way they planned. The very second the shuriken cut through his jacket and grazed his skin he whirled around in a fury, launching himself at them with a bestial roar.

The sound was so rough and horrific, that it must have been like grinding sandpaper against his throat as it escaped him. Sakura's eyes became impossibly wide and her breath caught thickly in her throat. Her body tensed to stone, her joints locking. Her blood froze as her eyes where pulled to Kiba's.

His eyes were nothing but black holes, as if his eyes had sunken away. Both that sight and the terrifying scream completely removed her mind from her body and Sakura was singularly petrified with fear. She was aware of nothing, but that monster about to collide and shred her neck apart with its teeth.

Then from the right, a blur of white collide with it like an arrow, slamming it out of the air with amazing force. With the eyes out of her field of vision, Sakura's mind numbly crawled back to her. She was dimly aware of Shikamaru's ragged breathing beside her, absently noting that he had been in the exact state she had.

She heard chaotic noise, like two wild animals fighting on the forest floor below. That horrible screaming, roaring, growling kept her mind from any clarity. It sent raw fear clawing at her insides. She didn't shake or tremble, the echoes from the first roar kept her body locked. Then before she could notice anything else, a rough slap of chakra hit her back.

Like emerging out of water, Sakura gulped at the air and collapsed into fit as her body came to life again. It was as if all her bodily functions, her heart beat, the movement of her lungs, the flow of her blood, the currents of electricity in her brain, everything had stopped at the sound of that roar. And now with the warm hand on her back everything revved up into overdrive immediately.

The fear that had been clawing at her insides snapped and ran rampant, adrenaline shooting through her veins. Her heart was in her head and her body shook with violent tremors. She was on the brink of losing herself, but with sheer force of will her mind fought against the overload of sensations.

She was on her hands and knees, her eyes clenched. Trying to gather her wits, Sakura planted chakra to her hands to keep from falling off the wide branch she was on.

"-kura!" She heard a voice yelling in a panic. "Shika-"

She heard sputtering and heaving beside her. Her jaw was clenched impossibly tight and Sakura was glad she didn't bite her own tongue off. Fighting for control of herself, she sent a gentle wave of chakra through her body, wrapping it around her lungs and heart. Her heart began to calm and with a deep breath Sakura's mind was back, and her breathing leveled.

She looked over to see Shikamaru thrashing. Lee, who realized she was back to normal, tried to steady him and keep him from falling.

Below herm the screams and growls were intensified. The sound sent fear into her heart and threatened to freeze her all over again. She sent a frequent wave of chakra to filter though her body, keeping that genjutsu from her touching her senses.

Lee's attempts to calm Shikamaru down were becoming sluggish and his body was becoming stiff and frozen from the screams below. Sakura quickly, but gently grabbed his calf and sent a controlled wave of chakra through his body. His body went back to normal and he shot her a thankful look

It was nothing like the frantic wave that Lee shot into them, accidentally sending both their bodies into shock.

Shikamaru was writhing with pain and panic on his back, Lee just barely keeping him from falling off the branch. Sakura tried to reach a glowing hand toward his heart only to receive a long set of scratched on her forearm.

"Lee!" Sakura shouted, panic giving away to frustration, she could deal with that, "Just grab him, you won't hurt him!"

With the assurance, Lee's fear was quenched and he quickly grabbed Shikamaru's wrists holding his arms out of Sakura's way. His torso was thrashing and Sakura was forced to straddle him to pin him down. She reached to plant both hands on his heart.

It was beating furiously and Sakura was quick to send a gentle wave of chakra. Slowly, his body began to still and his breathing leveled and Sakura and Lee let out a sigh of short relief.

Below the growls and screeching were getting worse and Sakura got off of Shikamaru and looked below.

There were two Kiba's down there. One was fighting like the Kiba she knew, using his Gatsuga jutsu. His body was spinning chaotically into black twisters. When he crashed into a tree he sprang back growling, his teeth bared. Still, this Kiba was the more human of the two.

The Kiba she knew was actually the boy that went to the academy with her... Sakura tried to concentrate on his form. His body was twisting and jerking unnaturally.... It was a terrifying thing to watch, and Sakura had trouble keeping her eyes on him. He hurled himself like a weapon, with no regard to his own safety, as Akamaru just barely moved out of the way; Kiba crashed into tree trunks and boulders, taking them out like nothing.

He moved so oddly Sakura couldn't wrap her mind around it. It was like all that power and energy came from his torso. His torso controlled every movement and his limbs were thrown out like a whip.

"It's a berserker jutsu," Shikamaru whispered beside her. She turned to look at him to see that he was pale, but had gotten a hold of himself. His brown eyes locked with hers, thanking her.

Sakura nodded and her eyes shifting back to the scene, "How do we break it?"

"I think the same way you, took the terror genjutsu off us. You have to physically touch him and push the chakra into him," Lee said, his eyes narrowed on the fight below.

Sakura nodded. The two boys stood by her sides, all of them watching the battle below with barley controlled terror. Akamaru dodged again and Kiba rammed into a boulder leaving a devastating crater and then shot of again as if he had bumped into a cloud, "That's not his power; the genjutsu is fueling him, sending his adrenaline into overdrive," Sakura murmured.

His roars and screams were beginning to get to them and Sakura felt her body begin to stiff. In an instant she grabbed Lee and Shikamaru's wrists and sent a wave of chakra through all of them.

Both boys let out a sigh of relief and sent Sakura another grateful look. Sakura's eyes were locked on Kiba. Her heart was beating harshly against her ribs and Sakura couldn't will that away, it was her own fear.

"We gotta do this quick…" Shikamaru closed his eyes and concentrated.

"Akamaru is getting tired," Lee said worriedly, and sure enough Kiba back-fisted Akamaru into a tree. The crash boomed through the air and Lee and Sakura moved to aid him.

"Wait!" Shikamaru grabbed onto Sakura's wrist and stopped Lee with his shadow jutsu, "We can't just jump in. I know we have to help Akamaru, but we'll be no use if we get caught again."

Sakura and Lee settled back onto the branch, worry and tension etched on their faces. They looked away from Shikamaru and back to the clearing. Kiba had become very still again.

Their breath caught and Sakura's hands clenched onto the boys' wrist. Kiba's head fell forward and his chin hit his chest. Disturbingly, he turned his head to look over his shoulder at them.

"Don't look at his eyes…!" Lee hissed. Sakura looked down at her own feet, knowing that his eyes would pull them into that Genjutsu. Lee whispered, "Look at his chest, his feet, not his face…."

Akamaru began to stir and Kiba shot into action again. Sakura narrowed her eyes, barely able to keep her body from jumping down to Akamaru's aid. But why didn't Kiba attack them? He looked straight at them, didn't he?

"Okay, I got it. We have to do this now to save them both," Shikamaru quickly ran over the details of his plan and the three shot into action.

Kiba was about to bash his best friend's head in when Lee's fist crashed into his face. He flew into a thick tree and brought it down with him.

Lee hissed and shook out his hand, "It's like hitting steel!" He shot off after Kiba and Sakura quickly rushed to Akamaru to check his vitals.

He reverted back to his natural form and whimpered as Sakura tended to him. He was very bloody and then Sakura realized that Kiba was using his claws and even teeth to fight. Her brows dipped as she sent out a chakra scan. She frowned.

Sakura was not a vet she wasn't quite sure if any organs had received any blunt trauma- Sakura gasped. She didn't need to be a vet to notice the tree branch piercing his liver. He was not lying down on it and it did not pierce through him, so she didn't see it immediately. Sakura's frown deepened as she did a more extensive scan. It was not a mere twig that was lodged into his liver, it was a splinted spike the length of her arm, 6 inches of it embedded in Akamaru's body.

The bile canaliculus was what was punctured. Bile seeped out into his body, risking infection and septis. Sakura's mind shot to the solution and she quickly and clinically executed it.

Gently, but firmly, she pulled Akamaru off the wooden pike and placed him in the grass. Blood seeped out and began to pool around them. Sakura's eyes widened and a small cry escaped her. Did the pike piece a major blood vein?! She knew nothing about dogs!

She placed her hands over the wound and began to seal the vessels, stitch the skin together. Blood steadily seep out but began to slow.

Sakura ignored the crashes behind her, not flinching when she felt a sudden breeze whoosh behind her, or paying any attention to Shikamaru's shouts.

With that wound closed, Sakura turned her attention back to his liver. Closing her eyes and seeing the wound outlined she began to close it with chakra threads. She willed Akamaru's own chakra to accept hers. Sakura clenched her eyes shut; Kiba would never forgive her if anything happened to him…

Fearing infection, Sakura began to extract the bile out from his abdomen. She had to get every drop. Like poison, she pulled it out in thick globs. She threw the acidic liquid away from them; Sakura scanned and rescanned. If Akamaru got an internal infection, it risked death. Not only that, bile was made to help digest. If it were anywhere other than his stomach and liver, it would eat away at his unprotected organs. His tissue already exposed to it had traces of what looked like burns.

Sakura took the last bit of bile out and let out a sigh. He was steady; she got him into a stable condition and now she had to make sure the others were okay.

She affectionately rubbed behind Akamaru's ear, "You did great Akamaru, it's gonna be okay. Kiba's going to be okay," She promised. Sakura wouldn't lose anyone else.

She turned to see the last phase of the plan executed, just in time for her role. Shikamaru was in position and Lee finally lured Kiba within reach. Lee let out a sigh of relief, making sure to keep his eyes on Kiba's torso. Sakura shot into action heading straight for Kiba.

Lee was yelling to her, "Sakura, quick! He adapts. Fast. He became immune to my attacks. You might only have one chance before he's immune to you too!"

Within seconds Kiba was locked in the Kagemane. She bolted past Lee, gathering chakra in both her hands.

Before Sakura saw Shikamaru's face, she knew something was wrong. Kiba hadn't resumed the starting position of the Kagemane. He was frozen in the same rigid stance this had all started in. Regardless, Sakura didn't slow down; in fact she sped up. She was just in arms reach to release him of the horrible genjutsu--

Then before anyone could react, Kiba roared. It was the same roar from before, that bestial horrifying scream that had locked Shikamaru and Sakura. Although Sakura was the closes, she was prepared. With a second skin of chakra, she blocked the genjutsu.

Lee on the other hand, froze. In a single instance, no struggle what so ever, Kiba broke out of the Kagemane and was hurtling towards Lee.

In one fluid motion Sakura gather chakra in her fist and before Kiba could get past her, she threw it into his rib. Kiba flew back like a kunai, straight into another tree completely destroying it.

Without missing a beat Sakura was charging after him. If Shikamaru's justus wouldn't keep him still, Sakura had to. And she had the brute strength to do it. Her mind went to Lee for a fleeting second, but she concluded that the genjutsu only froze him; he hadn't looked into those soulless eyes. Lee would be fine once she released him form it.

But right now, Kiba was both in, and _the,_ immediate danger.

"Sakura!" Shikamaru called out. She ignored him, completely pushed it out of her mind. She couldn't let this opportunity go by. She couldn't allow this berserk Kiba to get used to her fighting style, to adjust to her strength. She had to take him out now. She had to save Kiba.

She summoned more chakra to her skin, thickening the armor. She tapped into her reserves. There was only one chance, all or nothing. Sakura used almost all of the chakra she had been reserving since she first started her training with Shisho.

Her whole body glowed and shimmer with it. Her breathing came out ragged, but adrenaline kept her for noticing. Her skin already felt raw and was turning red. She wouldn't be able to keep this up, not even for a minute. Luckily she didn't have to wait.

He leaped out of the carnage and began to run at her.

Sakura saw those hollow black eyes, and the inky depths seemed to be spreading out from his eyes and along his cheeks. The darkness seemed to want to engulf him whole.

Each of them was sprinting at the other with devastating speed. Kiba's whole body was wrapped in a smoky darkness; it trailed behind him like a comet. Sakura had her fist reeled back and was covered in chakra, protecting her both physically and mentally from him. The air sizzled and cracked with chakra and with a colossal explosion of power, they collided like stars.

And Sakura was the one left standing.

Kiba was left in the heap of broken trunks and branches. Dizzily running on adrenaline Sakura had enough sense to remember what she needed to do.

She had done what Lee did to her and Shikamaru earlier. She pumped his body with uncontrolled chakra, literally slamming the foreign chakra, that darkness, out of him. No doubt he would be going into shock right now.

She threw herself to his side and saw him convulsing like Shikamaru had been, however his seizures were so much more violent, slamming his body into the debris around him.

Extremely, dangerously, chakra drained, and disoriented, Sakura managed to pull a thrashing Kiba out of the broken tree trunks and place him on the smooth grass. With sheer will, Sakura pushed her weariness away. Sakura was running on pure reserves. She sent scan.

His heart was beating so fast it was a single flat-line. He was hyperventilating like none of the air was reaching his lungs. His movements were so quick and frantic that he managed to claw a long gash along Sakura's collar bone. The blackness of his eyes was fading to grey and then the only darkness there was his unseeing pupil.

Seeming to get over their shock, Lee and Shikamaru were there by her side instantly. Lee held Kiba's hands over his head while Shikamaru pinned down his ankles.

Sakura quickly sent a wave of pulsing chakra through Kiba, desperately trying to claim his heart and lungs. It wasn't working, she couldn't calm his heart down enough, his lungs were constricting and releasing to fast to get any air into his body, at this rate-- For a millisecond Sakura's calm clinical approach cracked and she feared Kiba was too far gone for her to save.

But Sakura didn't even allow this subconscious feeling to rear itself in the front of her mind. She couldn't even consider that. With a will of steel, without accepting any other possible ending but Kiba _alive_, she looked for another solution.

As she raked her mind, Kiba suddenly stilled. Sakura's heart dropped into her stomach.

"Kiba…?" Lee whispered in horror

"Sakura!" Shikamaru shouted frantically. Sakura couldn't hear them. She couldn't hear anything. Kiba's heart stopped. It was too much.

Instantly Sakura's hands were flying through seals and she slapped her hands together, sparks of lighting cracked and snapped between her palms. Firmly and swiftly, she thumped both sides of Kiba's chest.

"Check his pulse!" Sakura shouted, before she even finished the sentence Lee already had his fingers to Kiba's neck.

"…nothing," He whispered, tears in his eyes.

"Again!" Shikamaru shouted, Sakura didn't need to be told. Kiba's body jolted with the contact.

"There's a pulse!" Lee shouted, his eyes wide and his mouth open in a breathless grin.

Sakura clapped her palms together and clenched them, releasing the lighting jutsu. Sakura stared at Kiba's chest, watching for his breath. Too many seconds passed and Sakura let out a groan of desperate frustration.

She gently tugged at Kiba's jaw and plugged his nose. Placing her mouth on his and one hand on his chest, she sent two breaths into him. She felt his chest rise with air and placed both hands on his sternum. Quickly, she pumped his chest, counting to thirty, her eyes locked on Kiba's face.

Shikamaru and Lee watched helplessly as Sakura gave him another breath of air. As the seconds went by Sakura's clinical demeanor was beginning to turn frantic, making tears roll down Lee's cheeks and gather in Shikamaru's.

Sakura pumped at Kiba's chest for the fourth time. Two minutes. Two fucking minutes had passed and Kiba still wasn't breathing. When this last minute was up, Kiba's brain, his mind, his personality, everything that made Kiba _Kiba,_ would be dead.

Sakura gave him another breath of air and her mind darted, reeled over what more she could do. What else she could do, what else could she do?!

Frantically, Sakura gather the last of her reserves. Her palms still on his chest, Sakura sent chakra to his lungs to help him breathe. The green chakra wrapped itself around his lungs, applying gentle pressure. As the seconds slid by, Sakura pushed harder against his lungs, and then suddenly took off the pressure. Sakura let out a hoarse and desperate scream, "Kiba!"

With a cough, Kiba began to sputter. Everyone gave a sigh of intense relief. His lungs expanded and sucked at the air. Sakura tried to keep helping him breathe, but her hands were shaking. The chakra around his lungs seemed to evaporate away.

Sakura let out a shaky breath. His eyes were open, but he was unresponsive. But he was breathing and his heart was beating and he was _alive_.

Now that his breathing and his heart were stable, Sakura was left to survey the other damage. Heart beating in her ears, Sakura took deep breaths. Her vision was doubled and wouldn't focus. She was so chakra drained, but she had a job to finish. After a second of steadying herself, she went on.

Lee and Shikamaru were too busy looking over Kiba to notice Sakura's barley controlled tremors.

He had many broken bones from both fighting them and bulldozing through their surrounding environment. His skin was already blacking to form ugly painful bruises. It was less than what she expected and she was just relieved to see that nothing was fatal. Her eyes swiveled back to Kiba's. They looked up at the patch of clear sky he had made, the former canopy was now on the forest floor, surrounding them

Sakura now had to worry about his mind and what a berserker jutsu could have possibly done to it. She heard a simpering and turned to see Akamaru limping towards them.

Then Lee stood up shakily, jumping back away from Kiba.

"Lee! What's wrong?" Shikamaru called in alarm. Sakura stood, her eyes locked on Lee in confusion. Wait a minute—

"Did you get Lee out of that petrifying jutsu?" Sakura asked Shikamaru without looking away from Lee.

"I tried…" Shikamaru murmured, gritting his teeth with tension and worry, "Did I hurt him?"

Sakura took a deep breath and pushed herself up, and moved to scan Lee. It took an immense effort to gather the chakra for a simple scan; it was like scraping a ladle along the bottom of a bowl.

"You just didn't expel the chakra from his body; you pushed it away from his mind."

"Damn it," Shikamaru let out under his breath. Lee was beginning to stiffen again.

"It's okay, Shikamaru. I got it," Sakura gave him a quick assuring smile. Lee was in no real danger now, but it was still a horrendous experience being locked in a jutsu. She wouldn't leave him like that.

"But your chakra-"

"Keep an eye on Kiba." Sakura told him and walked over to Lee. . She could hold on a little longer. When she found herself walking towards three Lees, it began it began to sink in just how much she had used to protect herself from the collision with Kiba.

She reached Lee and placed her palms on his chest. She closed her eyes, she could do this. Just one last gentle wave. This time it physically hurt pulling the chakra from her body and gathering it to her hands. It was like dragging shards of glass threw her blood, all the way from her heart to her palms. Sakura clenched her teeth.

Finally Lee let out a shaky breath and leaned against her. Sakura started falling backwards when he caught hold of both of them.

"Lee? Are you alright?" Sakura ventured softly, her eyes closed.

Lee nodded shakily; she felt his bangs brush against her forehead "I think I need to sit down."

They held onto each other and both all but collapsed on the ground. He leaned against one propped up knee, the other folded before him. Lee never did do very well with genjutsu. Sakura couldn't even imagine how he would have been if he had gone into shock like they all had.

Sakura stayed on the floor in front of him and let out ragged breaths, her hands felt like they were on fire. She leaned on Lee and looked back to see Shikamaru and Akamaru hovering over Kiba.

What the hell was that genjutsu? Why didn't anybody sense it before Kiba was caught?

Sakura should have sensed it when they were within at _least_ 10 feet of it... Who had the power to set up something so subtle?

Sakura closed her eyes for a moment then she heard Shikamaru calling to her. Her mind went in to its clinical mode. She had to heal Kiba enough to move him. She lurched up to her feet, very unsteady and nearly tripped over Lee.

Lee caught onto her knee and calf, stabilizing her, "Sakura, "He said firmly, "You need to get your chakra back. You got Kiba stable, he can hold out a little longer."

Sakura was taken aback by his reproachful tone. She supposed if anyone knew her tendency to go past her limits, it was Lee. He understood why she did it better than anyone else. It was why he was the only one she paid any attention to when she was told to let her reserves build up.

His eyes were still closed, so she let out an "hmmm" of understanding.

He let her go and she slowly walked toward the others.

Then she saw feathers slowly drift down to the forest floor.

Her eyes widened in alarm and with a shot of adrenaline instantly dispelled the sleeping jutsu. She looked around to see that Lee was knocked out and then turned back to lock eyes with Shikamaru.

In one instant an understanding passed between them.

Shikamaru was a strategist; there was only so much he could do with only his own arsenal at his disposal. Like in Shoji, he only had one piece left protecting the king, their precious people. And as she was, Sakura was only as good as a pawn.

Despite all this, their eyes stayed locked with resolution. It was up to them to protect their teammates.

Sakura stayed near Lee, Shikamaru by Kiba. Akamaru, who had been licking at Kiba's face, was overtaken by the jutsu and laid asleep, his head on his master's shoulder.

"Sakura..!" Shikamaru hissed. Sakura glanced at him and instinctively caught the miniscule object he hurled at her. She opened her palm to see one of Kiba's soldier pills. Sakura popped the pill in her mouth, feeling her chakra temporarily flare. It wouldn't last long, and really it was just enough to straighten her vision.

Sakura slid into a defensive stance, her eyes searching the forest for the enemy.

Damn it. She couldn't even deliver a powerful punch, her reserves were keeping her alive and conscious.

"I have to say, I'm impressed," Drawled a smooth and arrogant voice. With a poof of smoke, there stood a guy in his early twenties. Sakura quickly scanned for a headband and found it wrapped around his thigh. He was an Earth-nin.

His eyes were naturally wide and were rimmed red. He had heavy shadows under them and looked like someone who hadn't slept for a week. There was something about him that made Sakura believe it too. He seemed… off. Crazed.

He carelessly walked towards her, his hands twitching at his sides.

Sakura glared at him, gripping a kunai. "What do you want?"

The question seemed to please him and he grinned at her, he ran a jerky hand threw his crop of scraggily hair. "My buddies want that _scroll_." He drawled out the last word, teasingly.

Sakura glared. His whole demeanor was unnerving. Something was definitely off about him, yet his casual demeanor both sent her on edge and drew her in.

He moved closer to her, five yards away now. Suddenly his body froze midstep. If possible his eyes got even wider and he looked between his feet and saw a thick shadow there.

Sakura traced it back to the line of the forest behind him and knew it went around the clearing, snaking through the debris and back to Shikamaru. A shadow hand reached up from the shadow to grip at the Earth-nin's neck.

He lost that quirky casualness immediately, his body stiffing in and all too familiar manner. "Bad move." He hissed his voice suddenly rough and deep. He snapped his head up to Shikamaru, his eyes those horrible black holes.

Sakura's eyes fell to her feet as if they were magnets to metal. She managed to protect herself again, but nearly fainted from the sudden drop in chakra. When she looked up again, she was alone.

She looked around with wide eyes. Her eyes shifted to where Lee had been, to where the others had been. The movement made her light-headed, but she could still think clearly.

Her body was coiled ready to protect herself. She heard a rush of feet and turned to see the Earth-nin. The world seemed to turn black, white, red.

Sakura moved her hands up to block, a kunai in her hand, but he was too fast. With a jolt of white hot pain, he pierced through her heart with his claws. Sakura's mouth opened, letting out a soundless scream. Her eyes wide, she looked to see his wrist jutting out from her body and followed it back to see those black holes, his eyes.

Sakura fell back, her world gone.

* * *

.To Be Continued.

* * *

Thank you so much to the people that are still reading! Alright people we've reached the steady flow of things. Yay! Next chapter is Akatsuki filled of course!

And for the record people., I LOVE Kakashi. That whole contemplating on Kakashi spiraled out of control and into a completely different direction then what I intended. Don't worry he might redeem himself in the far future.

What do you think of Anko/Sakura friendship? I freaking adore Anko, anybody else? What about the Akatsuki scenes? As usual if anything seems off, weird, or if you just plain didn't like something, let me know! I'll see what I can do.


	5. Chapter 5

1**A/N** – Summer's almost here!

**.Disclaimer.**

* * *

.Chapter Five.

* * *

With a sick gush, Sakura's body slid from the Earth-nin's bloody arm like beads from a string. Shikamaru watched in horror as Sakura crumpled on the ground. His eyes were wide, his mouth open in a silent scream. His throat seemed to turn to stone, he couldn't breath, gasp or swallow.

His vision swayed slightly and he realized he was shaking his head at the sight. It wasn't true. It couldn't be true. He had the Kagemane. That Nin was wrapped in the Kagemane. He couldn't have touched Sakura. Not Sakura. _Not Sakura._

Then in an instant, Shikamaru's mind was in Konoha. He saw a clear, blue sky day. _That_ day. The scene was so bright, it was almost washed out. The sound of cicadas buzzing was thick in the air.

"Take care of her, Shikamaru. Make sure nothing happens to her." He told him.

"Kakashi will watch out for her." Shikamaru said shaking his head and smiling at the boy.

"Team Seven's not like Team Ten." He said almost wistfully. For a second, the smallest of seconds, Shikamaru had been taken back by the look on his face. It was something like sorrow… longing even… Before Shikamaru could study it further, the expression was gone.

He had on that closed-eyed grin, that fox grin. "We're more trouble than we're worth and we're all too into ourselves." He folded his arm behind his head and laughed that obnoxiously loud laugh.

Shikamaru stayed quite looking at the blonde. He finally quieted down and after another moment spoke again.

"I think we need someone on the outside to watch out for us. Someone who's not so invested. Who sees everything for what it is…"

Shikamaru lifted a brow. "Which is…?"

He shrugged and gave an easy grin. "I don't know, I'm invested."

Shikamaru tilted his head to the side, looking at the blonde like he had never seen him before. It was indeed known to be true that every once in awhile, the boy would throw out nuggets of deep reflection and insight. But it was so rare, that it had become myth.

"I didn't even know you knew the word '_invested'." _

"I'm full of surprises." He laughed shortly before his tone turned solemn again. "Promise. Promise me you'll keep on eye on her. Watch out for her."

"I promise, Naruto."

That bright day on the steps to the Hokage's office faded to black. The quite breeze rushed away and the buzzing insects stopped abruptly into silence. His eyes began to focus again, the corners of his vision blurry and dark, the center held the Earth-nin with Sakura at his feet. Her body was crumpled like a forgotten doll, a gaping bloody wound in her back.

The sound of her own blood dripping down from his arm and onto her skin was deafening.

"Hokage's apprentice, right?" The earth-nin chuckled as he reached down for her body.

At the sound of his voice Shikamaru's mind jolted, sending his thoughts whirling in rage and confusion, in denial and shock. The emotions were so overwhelming that he couldn't even think coherently. His body willed itself to go to her, but he couldn't move. He tried to scream, only to vaguely realize that he _was_ screaming, but no sound was coming out. Frantically, he struggled, strained against the invisible binds to reach her.

His muscles screamed at the pain caused by fighting the jutsu he was under. Shikamaru realized he couldn't breath-

The Earth-nin pulled Sakura up, his dirty hand wrapping itself in her beautiful hair. Shikamaru's internal struggle increased, violently. His mind screamed at him to stop the Nin, to get to Sakura.

He held onto Sakura in such a way that she faced Shikamaru. His eyes darted down to her. The second he locked onto her wide empty eyes, his heart stopped in his throat.

Those bright, sea-green eyes, were now glassy, vacant. Empty.

"Don't worry, kid. Sometimes nothing can be done." The Earth-nin drawled as he turned and began to drag Sakura's body into the forest. Shikamaru watched her unseeing eyes, terror and rage filling him further.

Just before the Nin reached the line of the trees, he adjusted his grip on Sakura and swung her over his shoulder like a bag. He leapt up into the trees without looking back.

A scream pushed against Shikamaru's throat and with a frantic violent rush it erupted. His scream echoed in the broken clearing and into the dark surrounding forest. Shikamaru collapsed forward from the sudden release of the genjutsu, landing on his knees and forearms. Tears and sweat poured down his face and his left hand was sticky with blood.

His heart beat so violently that it felt like a hammer in his head. He could barely see the grass in front of him, his body shaking with massive tremors, causing his teeth to chatter.

Shikamaru squeezed his eyes shut and willed himself to calm down. Taking deep breaths he tried to reason with himself. It wasn't real. He was caught up in a genjutsu. Sakura was fine. She was safe.

Taking shuddering, open-mouth breaths, Shikamaru turned his left hand over to see a deep diagonal slash surrounding a bloody kunai. His brows dipped to confusion. He didn't feel any pain.

His eyes slipped closed for the smallest of seconds. He was mentally exhausted and shaken. He tried to push it away, but after being assaulted by two massive terror jutsus, Shikamaru could barley think straight.

It was a genjutsu, his mind repeated. Methodically, his mind went into autopilot, back tracking and explained the situation.

Shikamaru looked into the black sunken eyes, he heard that roar. Nothing but an illusion had occurred and he had broken it by focusing on the pain in his hand.

Another part of his psyche, the small whisper that always knew the truth spoke. The pain. He didn't feel any pain. Not then and not know. His body was numb. Whether because Shikamaru was exhausted or because he refused, he didn't hear it.

Shikamaru opened his eyes, allowing them to focus on the individual blades of grass between his forearms. An illusion. It wasn't real. Sakura was safe.

Slowly, to avoid a head rush, Shikamaru looked up. His eyes immediately went to the spot where Sakura once stood, only to see Lee slumped on the ground unconscious. He tuned his head frantically around the clearing, searching for her. He saw Akamaru and Kiba sleeping just behind him. His vision began to spin and his stomach rolled at his panicked movements.

Slowly he turned back to where Sakura had been. His eyes narrowed, and his hands clenched onto the grass. His eyes were intently focused on the ground where she fell. Shikamaru gripped the kunai blade, digging it into his fresh wound. Slowly, his body began to feel the sting of the blade.

Shakily, Shikamaru pushed himself up, his breathing labored and his eyes wide. Blood dripped between his knuckles and fingers gathering in droplets. His body was raked with more tremors as he made his way to Lee.

His eyes were glued to the spot where Sakura had stood, locked on what remained. They ran over the path the Earth-nin had taken, dragging her body. An illusion. An illusion. It wasn't…

"Sakura…" He whispered hoarsely. His mind fought the shock and numbness. It was an illusion, he had to find her, he needed a plan to find her. His mind was willing the next course of action, but his body wasn't registering it. Despite what he kept repeating over and over in his mind, every nerve in his being, every cell was telling him that what he saw was real.

By the time he got to Lee, Shikamaru collapsed beside him and with a gentle slap of chakra, Lee began to stir.

"Wha…" Lee pushed himself up, one hand on his head. With sudden recognition and alarm, Lee shot up into a fighting pose. He didn't notice a lost Shikamaru beside him. He looked to see Kiba and Akamaru sleeping almost peacefully across the clearing and then glanced down to see Shikamaru.

"What happened? Are you okay? Where's Sakura?" He rang off in a barely controlled panic. When Shikamaru didn't answer, Lee stooped down and grabbed his shoulders. Shikamaru looked at him with wide empty eyes, completely in shock.

"Where's Sakura?!" Lee repeated, Shikamaru's state making him think the worse.

Shikamaru's gaze fell back to where Sakura had stood and then to the tree line. Lee looked to see a fresh pool of blood and a smeared trail that stopped at the canopy.

* * *

Three Earth-nins ran frantically through the trees, as if their very death was chasing them. With their eyes wide and their hearts in their ears, each of them played back the scene in their minds over and over. It wouldn't be till two hours passed that they would pause at a small stream to rest for a few moments. The youngest broke the silence.

"What the hell happened back there?! And why the fuck was Akats-" Before the young Earth-nin could finish his sentence, his teammate grabbed him by the throat and slammed him against a tree trunk.

"Don't say that name!" He hissed, as if the entire organization would suddenly appear around them.

"Let go of him, Issui." Said the tallest and oldest of the group, his almond eyes narrowing in a glare.

Issui let go. He shook out his hands and turned his neck this way and that. He walked away from the sputtering boy as if he had just awakened from a nap. The boy sent an angry glare at him and then pulled himself together.

Issui....! The fact that _they_ showed up was most likely all his fault! He always had to drag out fights. And not even in the fun way. No, he had to physiological torment his enemies. The damn sadist.

The young nin voiced his thoughts, "It was probably your jutsu that alerted them! Why'd you pull such a high level jutsu anyway? They were just a bunch of chuunin."

"Aww, Tonbo, I hardly ever get to do my Ninmen Juushin jutsu." Issui's tone was friendly and causal. As if he had just given the boy a friendly pat on the back instead of attacking him. Issui stooped to rinse his face in the stream. "Besides, that girl had pink hair." He added as if it explained everything.

Tonbo looked to the oldest and saner of his teammates, Kisen, and exchanged a glance. Tonbo shook his head disregarding the comment, then muttered under his breath, "We didn't even get the scroll."

Issui's demeanor changed on the spot, causing Tonbo to clench his fist. He looked Issui up and down with a scowl, prepared for anything. He was such a loose canon. No, maybe that wasn't even the term for him. He was just psycho.

"I was about to when _they_ showed up." He said icily, his wide blue eyes snapping into a glare.

"Those Leaf-nin have to be dead." Kisen murmured as he filled up his water bottle.

Tonbo shook his head again. The simple truth was that as soon as Issui sensed their presence, he hightailed it out of there leaving Tonbo and Kisen to chase after him.

"How'd you sense them? Aren't they supposed to be semi-gods or something?" Tonbo asked. Kisen straightened and glanced at Issui, equally curious.

Akatsuki was absolutely infamous in Iwaga. Other countries like to keep they're existence on a need to know bases (usually meaning ANBU to a few high level Jounin), but even civilians knew of Akatsuki in Earth's shinobi village. However, they didn't know much. Actually the sum of common knowledge was that they were a group of incredible powerful missing-nins. Therefore they were more like legends than anything tangible to most shinobi.

"I felt that genjutsu slide on me." Issui muttered, looking serious for once, his hands clenched and unclenched at his sides "I was right in the middle of mentally killing that girl, and making her friend watch, when something hit me." His eyes darted to the side, narrowing in suspicion "… The whole clearing actually."

Must have slid over the Leaf-nin, Tonbo thought. He scooped a hand full of water and rinsed his face. Perhaps the Akatsuki had been hired for that scroll too. They were lucky to get out alive.

Issui went on with a shrug, "The second that went down, I knew I had to get out of there."

"Yeah, thanks for warning us." Kisen said calmly, the sarcasm needing no tone to come across. Issui laughed and leapt up into the trees.

Tonbo and Kisen watched him leave before looking at each other.

"I hate him." Tonbo finally announced before both shinobi jumped after him.

* * *

Kisame watched the genjutsu user approach the Leaf-nin. He spared a glanced at Itachi. Those red eyes swept the scene. He calmly ran through scenarios and formulated plans. Kisame's sharp eyes darted around the people below, his fingers twitching for Samehada. He glanced at Itachi again.

As usual, Itachi wasn't going to fill Kisame in till the last minute, and in situations like this, Kisame got impatient. To be absolutely honest, he got all excited watching the battle between the Leaf-nins. It was like a child watching kids play at the playground. Kisame just wanted to join in.

Kisame's mind replayed the most exciting scenes.

Her skin glimmering a beautiful green. Her hair floating as if it was underwater, glowing with raw power. No hesitation in her eyes, no fear. Only steely determination. The boy wrapped in that eerie darkness, wisping off him like smoke. His mind gone. Carnal. Pure instinct. A monster.

The collision of their power was both extraordinary and impressive. The shock wave ran through the clearing, lifting the edges of his cloak and ruffling his hair. For a few seconds he could feel that energy dancing on his skin.

Kisame's eyes had dilated at the sensation, and his mouth practically watered with anticipation. His muscles were tensed and coiled for release. Itachi actually had to put a hand on his shoulder to keep him from joining in.

And it's a good thing he did, because poor Kisame would have ended up very disappointed. The little ninja's powers proved to be fleeting. The impact drained them both completely. If Kisame had jumped in, he would have been left just standing there… awkwardly watching as the Leafs gathered around their teammate...

Still he was rather envious about the fact that Sakura got to go all out, use everything she had to stop her enemy. Kisame never got to do that. It really wasn't fair.

Then there was that other kid.

There was something both unsettling and exciting about watching that boy lose himself in the berserker jutsu. Watching him become a monster, a demon. There are few things that Kisame thought he should avoid. Things that he should look away from. Yet he couldn't. He should've. Kisame couldn't entertain thoughts of losing control.

He tried to remind himself why, but the temptation was too much. It was like asking a starving man not to smell the food cooking. Kisame watched that monster. Completely and utterly free. Reckless with raw power. No regard for _anything_.

Kisame was almost salivating at the thought…

It wasn't until she entered the fray that he was able to tear his envious eyes off that monster.

Even after the month of surveillance, Kisame had no idea she possessed such power. Watching her training, it seemed her power came from chakra reserves and summoning it at the right moments. Yet he didn't realize just how much she had reserved. Chances were she wouldn't be able to do something like that again for a very long time.

Though, the thought of seeing her battle again with such strength was tantalizing. Kisame's fingers twitch for Samehada. He was _so_ ready to kick some ass.

Screw the plan. Kisame was ready to tear limbs apart. Like a little kid trying to sneak by the babysitter to the cookie jar, Kisame reached for Samehada. Out of the corner of his eye, he watched Itachi's reaction.

Itachi's eyes quickly shifted form the scene below to Kisame. His brows dipped a fraction. That was all that was needed to tell Kisame that they would _not_ be going in melee style, or another way that could possibly be an iota of fun.

Kisame let out a disappointed sigh and waited for Itachi to move into action so he could follow his lead. He flexed his hands and took a deep breath to calm himself down. Itachi was such a kill joy.

His eyes shifted to the scraggily Earth-nin. His sharp eyes looked over him. Genjutsu user, Kisame concluded. That berserk jutsu was indeed impressive, definitely an S-class.

His eyes darted back to her. Her chakra was dangerously low. Now she seemed seconds away from passing out. She stood close to that weird looking kid (the one that looked like the guy that kicked him in the head years ago… Kisame had yet to get that guy back…).

Kisame raised a brow at the shadow that was extending behind the Earth-nin, moving straight for him like a snake. It was the second time he'd seen the technique during this battle. It was from Ponytail-kid, and Kisame wasn't entirely sure what it did. At first he thought it froze people in their tracks, but Dog-boy had just jumped away like nothing.

Kisame watched with vague interest as a black hand emerged from the shadows and rose toward the Earth-nin's neck. The Earth-nin looked up to the boy, his eyes deep black holes, and roared.

Itachi's hands flew into hand seals and Kisame knew he was interfering with the genjutsu.

Kisame's eyes narrowed slightly. Great. Knowing Itachi he'd fight the whole damn battle using genjutsu.

If you asked Kisame, nothing was gayer than fighting without actually _fighting_. Not that anyone ever did….

Kisame let out an annoyed puff of breath. Sometimes he wished he had a partner like Hidan, or Deidara. Those two knew how to have fun.

Suddenly the Earth-nin looked at Sakura and then tensed up. Without warning he took to the trees and shot out of there. Sakura slumped to the ground unconscious while Ponytail-kid was still trapped in the genjutsu.

Kisame raised a brow and looked back at Itachi, who to his surprise, looked equally confused.

"What happened?" Kisame voiced needlessly, looking between the scene and Itachi. He was trying really hard to keep the growing smirk off his face as he drew his own conclusions.

"…I think he detected me…" Itachi admitted, looking almost baffled.

Kisame let out a small chuckle and a fanged smile began to appear. Itachi sent him a quick glare. This made Kisame laugh out loud.

"I think you're slip-"

"I'm _not_ slipping." Itachi defended, his voice just barley emphasizing the word.

This made Kisame's eyes light up with mirth. It wasn't often that Itachi's acted like the 19-year old that he was. And this was defiantly a bit of young man's pride coming out. Perhaps Itachi had gotten too comfortable with being the best… Kisame mentally dismissed the thought, but pressed anyway.

"I think you're slipping." Kisame repeated, trying to get Itachi to further react.

Itachi refused to give Kisame .

Shaking his head Kisame glanced at the scene below, intrigued. His fingers twitched at the thought of someone being able to detect Itachi's presence. Really Kisame couldn't remember the last time Itachi was caught interfering in someone else's jutsu. He had perfected that technique himself. Man, Kisame grinned at the idea of fighting someone like that.

Itachi read Kisame easily and was quick to take away any smidgen of joy. "He was a genjutsu user, he would have just thrown you into one of those and the battle would have been over."

Kisame's grin was wiped clean and he looked deadpanned at the sleeping Leaf-nins below. With both prides poked at, both silently agreed not to bring up the issue again.

"Get the girl, Kisame-san. She should be out for hours, if not a few days. She's extremely chakra drained."

Kisame's embarrassment was forgotten at his realization. That was it? Kisame frowned as he jumped down to the forest floor.

How absurdly anticlimactic.

* * *

Kakashi couldn't remember the last time he had actually been around Sakura for longer than a few minutes. He was not pleased with the realization.

Though… it wasn't that he wasn't there. Quite the contrary.

When Sakura worked late in the hospital, pulling all-nighters, Kakashi was usually somewhere in the building, keeping an eye on her chakra signature. When she finally left well after mid-night, he made sure she got home safe.

At the tower, when she was cooped up in her office, Kakashi could hang out in the lobby, or the on-call room. He practically wandered around the halls for hours. Everyone assumed he had some business, so he was never bothered.

In fact, Kakashi didn't think anyone was wise to him. Sakura was either much too focused on whatever she was doing, or she was stuck in her head.

If he thought about it, it was actually something that made him nervous. That Sakura wasn't constantly aware of her surroundings. But whenever he would find himself mentally scolding her, he would stop himself, chalking it up to his ingrained jaded paranoia.

She was in the safety of her hometown, after all.

Besides, Kakashi looked out for her. Though, for the last two months he had been away on a mission.

So that's why he currently stood in the records room. He's been here countless times before, standing in front of a certain green tin cabinet, the third in the second row. Labeled "Ha. – Ho."

This habit of two years didn't start out like this. He's not sure when instead of just ambling into the records room (which, arguably, he had a right to do so… technically…), he began to creep in, silently, as if he was… infiltrating. Instead of the small preference to enter when the room was empty, he diligently waited until any Chuunins retrieving, adding or organizing documents were done. He used to casually come in when he had time, now it was a priority. He didn't always have to do this.

He used to go to Tsunade personally. She quickly got annoyed with his visits. She called it "_Constant_ pestering and meddling (Kakashi was sure that she exaggerated the frequency of his visits).", saying that Sakura was no longer his student.

Kakashi never commented.

If Tsunade did not have the time or patience to update him, then Kakashi would find out himself. He simply began to read every evaluation Tsunade and Shizune wrote. Kakashi was so diligent in his checkups, that it came to the point that he began to place a seal on the file.

It was a common jutsu placed on scrolls or other important documents. Normally it was place on delivery items to inform the client if their hired shinobi had checked on the contents (the Hokage herself often placed it on packages).

When Kakashi used it, he knew when somebody had opened the file, presumably to write something new in (the handwriting always told him that Shizune was quite diligent in her posts. Tsunade was not).

While he was away, his seal was broken. So one of the two women had opened the file.

Kakashi gingerly picked her file out of the cabinet. Reflexively he scanned the small room and the hall outside. It was around lunchtime, and people were in their offices or heading out to pick up some fast-food. He didn't slide the cabinet shut, nor did he lean against the row of tall metal cabinets behind him.

He really didn't have to be so wary, so careful…

She's his student after all. His own comments are on her file. But he hasn't written anything in almost two years. He flicked opened the folder, his fingers running over familiar pages. Without really registering, his eyes scanned and read a few scrappy lines.

"_Smart. Natural with chakra control. Good instincts. Lack of initiative." _He frowned at himself; he always did when he saw that. It was written after Wave Country. While Sasuke and Naruto each had pages of evaluation, that was really all he had written for Sakura.

The truth was that neither Kakashi, the boys, nor herself, had expected much from her. He moved on quickly before his mind could expand more on the subject. His eyes scanned another page, from the academy. Her first year.

"_Very emotional and self-conscious. While the other children are carefree and completely oblivious to their appearance, she is extremely aware of herself. Very sensitive to others and painfully shy. However, she is very quick to learn abstract concepts. Maybe a better home-base strategist. A civilian child may never be able to keep up on the battle field." _

Kakashi flipped to one of the more recent evaluations written by Tsunade. _"Raw talent. Serious. Dedicated. Amazing chakra control and a quick learner. Unbreakable."_

A small smile of pride found itself on his lips. He remembered the first time he read that. Tsunade had written that after one training session with Sakura. He had been in shock. His Sakura? Serious? Dedicated?

His mind could roll over those words, consider them. Eventually justify them. But the last…

_Unbreakable_.

He stared at that word for a long time that day. It made him examine every single moment he spent with the girl. Rethink everything he knew about her.

Serious. Dedicated…. About Sasuke maybe.

Though the more he thought of it, he realized that Sakura was capable of giving up her entire being for a goal. Actually, she did.

Kakashi remembered the rare times in which he spoke with Asuma about Sakura and Ino. While Kakashi had a feeling there was so much more to the girls' relationship than what could be seen at face value, the bottom line was that Sakura gave it up. For a purpose.

While it appeared to be an asinine and completely delusional goal, executed in all the wrong ways, a fool still has to be given their credit.

The point was that Sakura fully and completely committed, and changed herself from that painfully shy girl.

Along with the other Jounin senseis, Kakashi had read the academy evaluations, and none of the other children had changed during those years. They each went in with exteriors that were outgoing, loud, quite, shy, lazy, or confident and graduated at 12, outgoing, loud, quite, shy, lazy, or confident.

Save for two. Sakura and Sasuke. Sasuke, for obvious reasons. And Sakura, because of her own will. And Kakashi suspected that Sakura changed from that shy little girl into the quick-temper adolescent for more reasons than just Sasuke.

So technically, Kakashi assured himself, he had already known that Sakura could be serious and dedicated. And it had occurred to him that they were admiral qualities for a ninja to have. That is, if they were aimed in the right direction. Which Sakura would eventually do. When she grew up, put away childish things.

However, Kakashi just didn't think that Sakura would grow up anytime soon. And to be honest, he didn't want her to.

In Kakashi's mind, growing up as a ninja meant something completely different than what's taught at the academy. And he didn't want that for Sakura.

He didn't want her to become a jaded shinobi. Someone who constantly looks over their shoulder, never letting their guard down. Someone who has to put an effort to see any color, any real beauty in the world. Someone who keeps people at arms length.

Because that's what happens to the best. The ones that are skilled enough to survive, the ones that will cheat death. They're left alone.

Sakura's young. She's emotional. She gives so much of herself without a thought, or even a realization of the consequences. And to Kakashi it's an absolutely beautiful and dangerous thing.

Naruto does it, in his own way. Naruto throws parts of himself left and right to people he barley knows. And Kakashi thinks that Naruto can do that. Because he's Minato's son.

Naruto's a fortress. Naruto's grown up unprotected. And because of it, e's a conundrum. Because while Naruto gives little pieces of himself out, he _does_ keep people at arms length. He's learned to. He doesn't show them his grief. His pain. The boy _isn't_ always composed of determined sunshine and loud cheery rainbows. Naruto has been though hardships no child should go through.

But Naruto _has_. Naruto has been hungry for love all his life. For someone to care for him. For someone to care _for_. He's had to experienced the excruciating pain of love being denied to him, and having no idea why. And Kakashi knows that when Naruto finally found people to care about, people to care for him, he was absolutely terrified of losing them.

Because Kakashi knows what it's like to wake up one day and realize that you have something to lose. And it's both exhilarating and utterly horrifying

And it's almost ridiculous, and pathetically sad, because when that happened to him, Naruto had no idea how to go about it.

Kakashi remembers being around Rin, and awkwardly trying to tell her, show her, _somehow_ make her know that she meant something to him.

And a lot of those times, when he watched his three together, Naruto had that lost expression. Like he's trying so hard to do the right thing, to be good in their eyes.

Because Naruto is broken. He's not used to just being around people he loves. He's new to it. He needs constant attention, verbal confirmation that they remember he's there. Because there's nothing Naruto hates more than being ignored, forgotten.

And Sasuke.

When Kakashi looks at Sasuke he sees himself. So maybe that's why he's not so sympathetic.

Sasuke's cold. He pushes others away. He's single minded. He's arrogant. Sasuke has an ideal of what strength is. It's the same one Kakashi used to believe in.

No emotions. No attachments. No weakness.

Sasuke had said it was because they were distractions, and maybe Sasuke really believes that, but Kakashi knows the truth. Knows why those rules exist.

Because emotions are powerful, attachments are deep and sacred, and they can completely destroy you.

And Sasuke's been destroyed before. He's lost everything. He was betrayed by a person he loved and all his precious people taken away. Sasuke is shattered.

So Kakashi pushed Sasuke, he pushed Naruto. He wanted them to learn that they could have precious people. He wanted them to be strong so they could protect their precious people.

Something Kakashi won't even admit to himself, is that _he_ is broken. _Kakashi_ is shattered. And he doesn't know how to fix that. He can't fix the boys. No matter how hard he tries, he can't fix any of them.

All he knows, what he believes in, is that when he's stronger, he can protect the people he loves, and that gives him validation. He knows that Naruto's the same way. Naruto and Kakashi think that's all they can really do for the people they love, be strong.

Because even though Kakashi is broken and shattered, the people that he loves make him feel whole. Complete. Cherished.

And Kakashi wants the boys to feel that. He wants Team Seven to feel whole. Kakashi wants to fix the boys the only way he knows how, and he wants to keep Sakura from breaking, from shattering.

Desperately, he wanted to protect her. In the back of his mind, something that he never really consciously registered, was that the one thing Kakashi wanted most was to protect them. Protect them from _everything_.

He tried in his own way to protect the boys. Though, it was too late for Sasuke, and even Naruto.

But Sakura.

He could keep her from harm, emotional, mental, physical, everything. Kakashi could protect her from anything that sought to harm her.

Sakura was a normal, a well adjusted girl that acted her age. She had two parents that loved her dearly and encouraged her to follow her dreams. All her silliness, her snobbery, he didn't think he needed to fix it. They were childish traits that normal children had, things that she would grow out of with time. All of Sakura's faults would fix themselves, through growing up and life experiences. Sakura deserved to live her life and grow up at her own pace, she actually had the chance too. That couldn't be said for the rest of Team Seven.

Because the glaring truth is that while Naruto and Sasuke are broken and shattered, Sakura is whole and complete.

And Kakashi wants Team Seven to be whole and complete and revolve around the only member that actually is. Because Kakashi believes that somehow, someway, _Sakura_ can fix them all. She can make them all whole.

And Kakashi can't even contemplate the possibility of anything ever happening to Sakura because she's the only thing in his life that isn't broken or shattered.

Because if she breaks, if she shatters, Kakashi knows that he can't fix her.

Kakashi reads that word again. _Unbreakable_. Kakashi's not quite sure if he believes it, but he would give his life for it to be true.

He looks to see that there are no new papers in her file, no new comments. He flips through the papers again, because he knows someone has opened the folder since he's looked last. His brows dip.

He is both annoyed at Tsunade and Shizune for not writing anything new and wondering who else would have looked through Sakura's file. He's further irked by the fact that it coincides with the time that he was away.

It makes it seem like no one has been keeping an eye on Sakura.

Kakashi hates that. Because not a day passes that Kakashi doesn't check on her and make sure she's safe.

Since Naruto left, his thoughts had been consumed with her safety. When he wakes up, when he's training, when he's away on a mission, when he's with friends, when he's falling asleep, his mind drifts to her.

If Kakashi was completely honest with himself, painfully honest, he's become obsessed.

And even if he did admit it, Kakashi wouldn't be all that surprised with himself. Because Sakura's the last part of his team.

There is something harrowing, absolutely demoralizing about having your students taken from you, having them seek out new teachers, for _any_ reason. Whether for their own good or to meet their goals.

Because it kills Kakashi that he can't protect Naruto from Akatsuki. It destroys him that he didn't stop Sasuke. It's almost physically painful that Sakura felt the need to go find another teacher because she felt he wouldn't prepare her.

And he doesn't blame any of them, because something that Kakashi accepts as a blaring fact, is that it's all his fault.

It's a truth, a burden, a guilt that would drive any man to the depths of insanity. And Kakashi knows he _would_ be mad by now. He would be dead if it wasn't for that promise. A promise that he made to Rin so many years ago. Rin, with those all-seeing russet eyes, is what keeps him sane.

He begins to put Sakura's folder back. He frowns to himself and places a flat palm over the top cover and places a new seal. Kakashi's brows dip as his mind runs over that fact again.

There's no reason for someone to open Sakura's file unless they were making an evaluation (himself excluded), which is the only reason Tsunade does.

Kakashi's shinobi instincts tell him something's amiss, and when it comes to Sakura, his paranoia doubles. He senses chakra signatures enter the building and he realizes lunch is over. He's been there for forty-five minutes.

He shakes his head. He's almost as bad as Sakura, getting lost in his head and letting his thoughts runaway with him.

He closes the cabinet and turns to leave the dim room. He glances at the open blinds. From here he can see the restaurant he's suppose to meet her at tonight.

For all that he's been watching her, checking on her progress, today was the first in a very long time that Kakashi had actually spoken to her.

He frowns at himself and it hits him how creepy that sounds. He makes another face and wonders if he's turned into _that guy_. He shakes his head. He has his reasons for being so sneaky, for not seeing her. And it's not all the missions he's been assigned lately.

But he's looking forward to seeing her. As Kakashi walks down the stairs and out into the sunshine, his footsteps are light. The corners of his mouth are pulled up and his eyes are soft. The sky is a crystal blue filled with full voluminous clouds. He realizes something, and it catches him off guard.

Kakashi is going to be with one of his students. Sakura. And he is whole.

* * *

Sakura stared at the only door in the room. Her hands clenched the sheets of the twin bed she found herself in. Her body was tense and her eyes wide at the unfamiliar surroundings. Cautiously she looked over the tiny little room.

The floors were a clean and dark wood paneling; the walls were covered in fresh, white, unframed rice paper. An old armoire stood in front of her and a small bedside cabinet was to her right. A simple lantern hung in the center of the room, barley hiding the bulb inside.

After the initial shock, Sakura reflexively checked to see if she had her weapons on her. Her mind whirled forward, calculating every scenario, and gathering every little resource. Just like she was trained too. Prepare for the worst.

For a kunoichi, waking up in unfamiliar surroundings was practically the equivalent of a flashing red sign saying, "_You're kidnapped. You're kidnapped."_

Sakura's mind automatically rolled over the basics.

So without weapons-

Wait.

Still in shock, Sakura had only glanced at her hips and had to do a double take to realize the leather pouches were actually there. She quickly opened them. Kunai, explosives, wire, poisons, senbon, light bombs, and smoke bombs. She checked the other side, a scroll, a file, mirror, antidotes, map, and more kunai.

What…?

Sakura scanned her surroundings again. In every scenario she had ever heard off or studied, the prisoner was _always_ striped of their weapons. That was even Konoha's own prisoner protocol.

Sakura dipped her brows in confusion; almost absently she sent a simple chakra scan through her body. She looked for chakra altering drugs. If a shinobi is captured it's extremely rare that they are not given a chakra suppressant. After all, a shinobi's own body is their greatest weapon.

It took way too much effort and Sakura had to pause halfway to catch her breath. She clenched her teeth, she _must_ have been drugged.

Yet she was allowed to keep her weapons… Her instincts still flared in suspicion. Something was not right. She glared at the little room in suspicion. Where was she? What was going on?

She sniffed at the air. There was some mustiness clinging in the air, just a hint. As if the room hadn't been used in a very long time, but was recently aired out. The corners of the room still had thick layers of dust.

Sakura clenched one hand into the beige sheets under her. She made an effort to take deep breathes. Think, she told herself. Remember.

After a blank moment, her suspicion began to give way to panic and her heart sped up. She placed a hand there and tried to push it away. Her heart wouldn't slow and Sakura's mind was suddenly bombarded with memories.

A red and black world. A burst of pain. A hand piercing though her beating heart.

Sakura gasped and her eyes widened. In a rush she tugged at the zipper of her red shirt, just enough to see her heart. She looked down to see her skin smooth and unmarred.

"Genjutsu." She murmured to herself. She slowly zipped her shirt back up and looked at her surroundings as if an enemy would melt out of the walls. She clenched her teeth, trying to gather her wits. What happened? Where were the others?

Kiba? Lee? Shikamaru? Akamaru? Worry and fear closed in on her, and her grip on the sheets tightened. Were they okay? Were they alive? Her body began to shake at the thought and she tried to calm herself down. Backtrack, she told herself.

That Earth-nin had shown up and she was caught in that genjutsu. She briefly considered the least believable scenario: perhaps they had been rescued? But an ally would have taken them back to Konoha, and she would be in her familiar hospital. Sakura's eyes darted around the room again, and then narrowed.

She had to assume the worst, till proven otherwise. Each shinobi was taught what to do when captured and to expect everything. Kunoichi, double that. However, this…

She wasn't bound and the more she looked over herself, she realized she wasn't actually hurt. In fact, at most she was feeling a bit lethargic—_did_ they drug her?

Wait, that must have been from losing all her chakra reserves fighting Kiba. Other than that, Sakura was fine. Actually, that may have been the reason her previous scan took so much out of her.

Sakura had never used so much chakra in her entire life. If she hadn't been training so intensely the last two years, it might have killed her.

Tentatively, Sakura swung her legs off the bed and scanned the room for the umpteenth time. She desperately searched for some clue. Taking each step as if there was a booby-trap in the panels of the floor, Sakura made her way to the armoire. She opened it to find it empty save for two metal hangers. The bottom of it had a thick layer of dust, a few scattered buttons and lint. One of the armoire's doors had a mirror inside of it.

Sakura looked over herself and the only thing amiss was her bed-head. Out of habit, Sakura absently put a few stray strands in place before just shaking her hair out. She retied her headband and closed the armoire.

Sakura looked back at the bed and noticed her backpack at the foot of it, formerly out of view. Sakura raised a brow at this. She went and opened it up, finding that everything was in place. Her clothing, her money, her small bag of snacks, her toiletries, everything she had packed.

Sakura tried putting all the pieces together and it just didn't add up. If she was captured, why did she have her weapons, why was she completely conscious, why was nothing taken from her? There weren't any chakra altering drugs in her body, she wasn't even bound. She glanced at the only exit. Sakura had a nagging suspicion that that door wasn't even locked.

Sakura stepped toward the door and her hand hovered over the knob—

"Fuck you, Kakuzu!"

Sakura jumped away from the door, a kunai in hand. That was a man's voice, a very angry one. With tense muscles and wide eyes Sakura watched a shadow pass by under the door. That loud voice spoke again, much closer.

"Seriously, you're supposed to have my back! Not give them ammo! You're such a dick!" A second shadow passed.

"Did you honestly think I wasn't going to tell anybody about your little accident?" Sakura paled at the sound of this voice. It was rough and it sent shivers of fear down her spine. "Really, Hidan. That was the highlight of the whole mission."

"You didn't need to announce it in a _meeting!_ This is why you don't have any friends, you fuck!" The voice went on and on. The scary voice never interrupted and that loud voice drifted away till Sakura was left with silence.

Her knuckles were a hot white, she was gripping that kunai so fiercely. Being alone, not having any idea where she was and how she got there was enough to deal with. Two angry and scary voices just added to the confusion. Sakura stared at the door debating what to do; now she wasn't so sure of going outside—

What was she thinking? She had to figure out what the hell was going on! Where were the boys? They could be hurt. With a new resolve of steel, Sakura went for the door.

Only to almost get her face smacked as it opened. Sakura jumped back and instinctively drew chakra to her hands. The chakra veins in her hands were still raw from overuse and it only resulted in pain. She clenched her teeth and pushed it to the back of her mind. She could still defend herself, her mind tried to convince her. Sakura looked to see who entered. Her eyes widen at the sight.

It was a man. …_Was_ it? What looked like the facial structure of a man was surrounded by two huge leafy appendages. Sakura was instantly reminded of a plant she had read about in a book once.

The green leaves—if that's what they were-- stood up like jaws, sharp points facing each other and ready to snap. If that wasn't enough to make someone stand out, the man had two skin pigmentations that cut right down the center of his face, black and white. The leafs stretched down his chest, the jaws closed there, and disappeared under his black shirt. The collar was very wide and open, accommodating him. He wore a pair of black shorts, and he was barefoot.

"Oh, did Hidan wake you?" He asked politely, only for him to speak again in a gruffer tone **"He's so annoying."**

Sakura didn't know what threw her off more, the man's appearance, his casual attire, or his voice change. She ignored both and cut to the chase. Her tone was tight and harsh, "Where am I?"

Her latent hostility didn't seem to faze him.

"At the compound." He said, as if that single answer would alleviate all her doubts and fears. "I'm glad you're awake. The leader is waiting for you, please follow me." He turned to leave, and then paused briefly. "I'll advise you not to try anything. Every person you may encounter here is an S-class shinobi." He stated so casually, you would think he was commenting on the weather.

"Wait—" Sakura scrambled to wrap her head around the situation, the man's cordiality was like a rug being pulled out from under her.

"**Just follow, brat."** Cut off that harsh tone, making Sakura tense, before she could even make sense of it, he went on "Please just be patient, the Leader will answer all of your questions. "

Sakura watched him leave and cursed her lack of chakra. She felt naked without her reserves; she might have well as been weaponless. With a sigh of annoyance she realized she really had no other options. She needed answers.

As if she was walking through the gates of hell, Sakura past the threshold and into the hall.

She took in every detail. The hallway was very wide and tall, well lit with paper lanterns. The floor was a sleek dark wood paneling, much better kept than the one in her room. In fact, Sakura could see her reflection in it. The walls were the same white rice paper finish, but only reached down half-way, wood paneling matching the floor reached up to meet it.

Sakura was rather taken aback at the pleasant interior, when he said "compound" she had expected a dark and dank look, with stone walls, and candles, and concrete everything. But then again, that wasn't what her room had hinted at. She didn't know if that alarmed her further, or reassured her.

"Just a second." The plant-man stopped short and picked up something. Sakura peered around him to see it was a large black coat, with red clouds on it. **"Burn it."**

Sakura lifted a brow at his comment—that coat! Her mind flew back through Sand Country, to the Dango shop to Wave Country. Kisame! Kisame!

The plant-man, oblivious to her revelation, her shocked and frozen expression, walked on. Numbly Sakura followed.

_Kisame_ was here, then it was okay—whoa!

She cut herself off again. She didn't even know Kisame, and what she did know was that he was an S-class missing-nin. A few encounters didn't change that. Especially the circumstances she found herself in.

"Where are my teammates?" She asked the man with more ice than was probably smart. She really was in no position to be giving attitude.

"**Dead." **

Sakura's heart dropped into her stomach and her blood froze**. **Her muscles locked--

"No, they're probably back in Konoha." He then assured politely.

It took a second to catch for Sakura to breathe again. She set him a withering glare, her jaw clenched. Was he trying to be funny? Her eyes shifted as it sank in. They were back in Konoha? She was here by herself?

Sakura clenched her fist, drawing chakra only to wince in pain. She was a weakling right now. Helpless without her reserves. Completely at their mercy. Sakura barley kept herself from screaming in anger. She hadn't felt this way in so long.

Sakura pushed away those feelings and concentrated on their path. She memorized every turn and twist. Right. Right.

He paused and glanced at her and then at the cloak in his hand. "Lemmie just put this away."

He entered a large door way, leaving Sakura to linger and peek into the room. Sakura was left even more confused.

It was a relatively big room with a plush mushroom-colored carpet. Sakura spotted another doorway on the wall to the left that was rather close to where she stood. There was a large open space in front of both doorways that ended at the back of a large sofa. In one corner of the room was a very nice big-screen TV with a big comfy looking armchair straight in front of it. Between those two items was a love seat and the large sofa angled towards the television. Sakura tried to take in more details, but the plant-man was distracting her.

She watched as he neatly folded the coat and then moved to the right, directly opposite the other doorway, to a shelf of movies. Sakura unconsciously tried to read the selections. Before she could, the plant-man began to fold the coat to an even smaller proportion and then slide the thick bundle of fabric between a few cassettes. Sakura tilted her head wondering why in the world he had done that.

The plant-man turned to her, seemingly satisfied with himself and then went out the other doorway. When Sakura just stood there, he called back very impatiently, **"Hurry up."**

Sakura quickly went after him; she stopped, seeing that she was in another open hall again, only this one seemed slightly wider. Directly in front of her was a pair of thick stairs that went down and another that went up, side by side. There were surrounded by sliding shoji walls, but all the doors were open leaving only "V" corners. Sakura ventured forward, the downstairs seemed to disappear in thick darkness and the upstairs was minimally lit.

"**Do you want to die?" **

Sakura tensed and looked to the right to see him standing there. "Please don't wander off." He added politely "We're practically there."

Why does he keep doing that?! Sakura was on edge and confused enough as it was, she didn't need this guy being nice and mean at the same time. Sakura walked toward him warily and he turned to the right, passing one of the stair's corners and then immediately turned right again and entered a room.

Sakura paused noticing that the room seemed to be surrounded by corridors. She looked at the corners closes to her and noticed seals. To add to that, she could sense a genjutsu on the threshold. She tried to sense what or who was in the room, but came back with nothing. Sakura's eyes narrowed, she couldn't even hear that plant-man in there.

"**Get in here."** The plant-man poked his head out of the doorway. He frowned slightly as she stood frozen next to the stairs. "The genjutsu you're sensing is simply a silencing jutsu, this is the meeting room. Please come in."

Sakura steeled herself, knowing she couldn't just stand there. Logically, if there was any funny business planned, it probably would have happened by now, and in a much different manner. Sakura walked the short distance and entered the room. The floors were a raised tatami mat and the walls were that dark wood paneling from floor to ceiling. A very wide, long and low traditional table sat in the center of the room, surrounded by red futons. There were tall shoji standing lamps set in the corners.

Sakura watched the plant-man leave the room out of her peripheral then turned to the front of the room.

At the head of the table sat a man with orange hair, the color popped like a firework in the quite surroundings. The style reminded her of Naruto, but that's were the similarities ended. Each of his ears were pierced along the edges with six thick rings, and a slender bar ran straight through them. Along the bridge of his nose he had three barbells.

He sat cross-legged, wrapped in that familiar coat. They eyed each other up and down, and Sakura knew she must have look like a cat with her hackles raised. She took a deep calming breath.

"Take a seat." He said simply. His voice was smooth, calm, and if he had been smiling perhaps Sakura would have perceived it as kind. But he didn't smile. Both his brows and his mouth were relaxed, any expression imperceptible to Sakura's eyes.

She looked over the two conical studs under his lip. Sakura had never seen piercings like that and she didn't know what to make of it. Carefully, she moved to sit down across from him, on a sturdy crimson futon.

She sat on her heels, ready to spring into action at the slightest provocation. Sakura schooled her expression to be as calm and collected as his. She couldn't relax her jaw and she knew that he noticed.

Not even a minute with him and Sakura felt like nothing could escape his notice. It unnerved her, but she tried to ignore it. Desperately Sakura pulled at confidence and strength. With a fortified will, Sakura met his eyes.

Immediately she knew that they were Doujutsu eyes. A stormy grey with rings of black. Sakura searched her mind for such an eye, for any reference, any clue to what they were capable of. She knew nothing of them.

"I am Pein. The leader of Akatsuki." He explained. He paused as if he's revealed all she needed to know.

Sakura frowns slightly. She's never heard of him or Akatsuki. She wasn't sure if she should nod and pretend that she did, or admit her ignorance.

Before she could decide, his eyes widen almost insignificantly. If Sakura hadn't been watching him like a hawk, she would have missed it. Her mind was alarmed at the tiny gesture, before she could figure out why, he spoke again.

"Akatsuki is an organization of highly qualified shinobi from various countries."

Sakura's mind shot back to Kisame's headband. "Missing-nin." She corrected with suspicious eyes. And from his sentence she's told one thing about him.

He's a diplomat.

Sakura's sat in on many political meetings. She knew how they talked, how they're articulate and elegant in their language. She knew that they'd tell you something without really telling you anything. They lie while they tell the truth. They conceal and reveal at their convenience. She's dealing with a diplomat, and Sakura's set even more on edge.

"Yes." He admits easily.

And again Sakura's thrown for a loop. Diplomats don't admit when they're caught, they explain away the truth. But he had no excuses. He went on.

"You were brought here because of your abilities. We are in need of your assistance."

"My assistance?" With a raised brow she vaguely noted that he's straight to the point. Sakura clenched her hands, her mind running over his meaning. And when Sakura thought of her own usefulness, the first thing to pop up is that she's the Hokage's assistant.

Sakura glared, and spoke as plainly as he did. "You won't get any information from me."

One brow lifted up at her comment and then realization dawned on him. "Nor do I want too. Rather we are much more interested in your ninjutsu abilities."

He went on before Sakura could interrupt, his demeanor ever cool, "Let me explain."

"Akatsuki's goal is to seal the nine tailed-demons. In order to do this we need to summon a tool. This tool is called The King of Hell. At present, the scrolls required to summon it are themselves sealed away around the known countries. I believe that you may have the chakra control to help us open these seals."

Sakura rolled the proposition around in her head. She knew she had exceptional chakra control. According to Shisho, it's the kind that's someone's born with every few hundred years. Sakura's been specifically requested for certain missions because of it.

"Why did you not simply issue a mission statement from the Hokage? A formal agreement?"

"As you stated earlier, our members consist of missing-nin. The Five Great Villages do not negotiate with Missing-nins."

"And why do you think I will?" Sakura sends back, her eyes slightly narrowed.

"Missing-nin are no different from other shinobi. They complete the same missions, they commit the same crimes. It's simply a manner of allegiance. They are not confined by the place of their birth, they chose and they live for themselves."

"What's the point of banding together?"

"Everyone joins Akatsuki for different reasons. May I remind you that not all ninja villages are as peaceful or righteous as Konoha. People don't leave their villages on a whim."

Sakura's mind goes back to him. She's twelve years old, screaming, and crying at his back, begging him to take her with him.

Not much time has passed since then, but everything has changed. Sakura mentally shook the memories away.

She looked across the long table, eyeing the man. She still doesn't quite know who she's dealing with. Her gaze hardened, "If I refused to help you?"

'You will be returned to Konoha."

"Just like that?" Sakura asked, sarcasm lightly lacing her words.

"Just like that." He repeated. And Sakura doesn't believe him for a second. "However, I do not ask you to do this for free."

"I don't want anything from you." Sakura can barley keeping the mistrust out of her voice.

"Every ninja has their price, their _reason_." He stated, and his eyes closed for a second. When he opened them again, they are focused and they locked on hers. "I believe yours is Uchiha Sasuke."

Her eyelids snapped wide open, and there's no way she could hide her reaction. The air in her lungs disappeared and Sakura couldn't breath. She clenched her palms and her nails dug into her flesh.

There's no way she could deny that he's right.

And it didn't even occur to her. Because in that second, that little girl, that desire to bring everyone back, is alive and consuming. She's clawing at Sakura's insides with overwhelming might.

And it's not just about Sasuke. Sasuke has always symbolized something to Sakura. And right now, he symbolized all of Team Seven. Kakashi. Naruto. Together. Complete and whole.

Her mind was running wild with the very idea of getting him back. Getting _all_ of them back. The girl that Sakura's been trying to become for the last two years is struggling for control. And she's fighting for logic, and she's fighting to drive that raw desire for her _family,_ back into the depths of her psyche.

Sakura let out the breath she'd been holding.

"You're lying." She said without any emotion in her voice. Because it can't be that easy. If it was, Naruto would have never left, Kakashi wouldn't be such a mystery and Sasuke would be home.

Instead of responding, he placed a folder on the lacquered table. With the flick of his finger, it glided across the length of the table and settled in front of her. Her eyes darted between him and the folder.

"Go ahead." He said with a nod.

Tentatively Sakura opened it, and she saw those obsidian eyes. It's a spy's picture. The corners are covered by blurred leaves, but in the center is Sasuke.

Her eyes drink in the sight. His dark hair is the same; his skin is still pale and flawless. His face is longer, the curves of boyhood melting away. There would be tears in her eyes; a smile on her face, her heart would be filled with happiness, hope and love at the sight of him. But her eyes are dry, her teeth are clenched, her heart has sank and it's filled with sorrow, despair and hate.

Because he's wrapped in that lavender rope.

His eyes are empty. He looks like a mannequin, not even a person. This is not the boy she remembers. Sasuke is changing. Sasuke has changed.

In an instant, Sakura knows that she can't wait for Naruto to get back to Konoha. And that single thought, that truth, is like a sledge hammer to the forehead.

Sakura has to save him before it's too late.

It's almost impossible for her to tear her eyes off the photo and shift through the other papers. There's more pictures. He's younger in some of them. And it's eerie how she flips through and watches him become human again, revert to a ghost of the boy she knew. The last picture is one that almost makes her cry.

Naruto's in it. They're at the valley. And it breaks her heart to see Naruto defeated and bleeding out on the wet ground. Sasuke is walking away, his back to Naruto. To her.

She looks away and sees that there are documents that explain Orochimaru's plan in detail. Her eyes are wide, her pupils dilated in shock at what she has in her hands. The exact jutsu that will steal Sasuke's body. There's another paper that shows a timeline. It tells Sakura that Sasuke's body will be stolen in a little over a yea--

The files disappear in sudden puff of smoke and Sakura's eyes snap up to meet him.

"I'm willing to give you all the information we have on Uchiha Sasuke and Orochimaru. That is, if you agree to help Akatsuki summon the King of Hell Statue."

Sakura is so close to screaming a solid yes to him, that she has to lock her jaw. Her logical side is fighting just to breath against the tide of emotions.

It can't just be that easy. It's not that simple.

Sakura still doesn't know who these people are. She can't agree to anything. He can easily read her discomfort. Before she can think of more suspicion, he gives her details.

"If you agree, you are committing to the equivalent of a year long mission."

"A year?" Her mind jumps back to that timeline. She sees Sasuke in Orochimaru's palm. A little over a year.

"As you are, you are not strong enough to open theses seals. We plan to train you, and teach you the required jutsus. After this is done, with the information you receive, you have sufficient time to find Sasuke." His cool tone took on a casual lilt as he added, "We don't want Orochimaru in possession of the Sharingan either. In fact, we would like him dead."

The enemy of my enemy is my friend. Her mind, that twelve-year-old girl whispered to her. The little girl that she was, all her desires, all her hopes were beating her, desperately begging her to agree. She whispered all the wonderful possibilities that this could mean into Sakura's ear. In just a year she could be with Team Seven. They could be together and they could be happy…

And Sakura's eyes harden and she shoved that all away, because it's just not that simple and it never will be. Her mind went to the present, to the people that were still there when Sasuke and Naruto and Kakashi left.

"Where are my teammates?" Sakura asked, her tone sharp like a blade. If anything happened to them--

"Two of my members came across your team while you were trapped in a genjutsu. They saved you." He paused just long enough for Sakura to get the undertone. She _owed_ them.

She narrowed her eyes at that, noting that he was coming at her at all angles. She pressed on, her fist clenching "And my team?"

He paused. Sakura lifted a brow as his eyes seemed to look through her, not seeing her at all.

…After a moment of his blank silence, Sakura began to feel extremely awkward and looked around with shifty eyes. Why was he spacing out?

His eyes suddenly focused on her, as if snapped out of a trance, and he spoke, "An informant has witnessed your three teammates, and their dog, reaching Konoha. All alive."

She narrowed her eyes at him, wondering what just happened.

"Let me propose a contract." His hand went into a horse seal and a long scroll appeared on the table, complete with a brush and ink block.

"I won't sign anything." Sakura declared quickly.

He said nothing as he picked up the brush and dipped it in the ink. Sakura watched as he began the document very formally. Suspiciously Sakura watched and read it from where she sat, having little trouble understanding the script upside down. After the basic introductory was written, he paused and glanced up at her. He wrote as he spoke.

"If you do sign this, you will be agreeing to aid Akatsuki in all manners concerning the King of Hell statue. The primary manner includes locating the scrolls, and unsealing them. You will also agree to learning the jutsus, becoming both a temporary student and an alley. While you are here, you are under the protection of Akatsuki. Your living expenses will be paid for and all amenities provided."

Sakura rolled that over in her mind, watching as he wrote it down in a much more formal and technical manner.

"Akatsuki will give you all information concerning Uchiha Sasuke and Orochimaru—"

"Indefinitely." Sakura cut in, her eyes hard. He looked at her for a moment, before nodding.

"All of the information gathered from this point on will be given to you." He wrote, then looked up fro her approval.

While Sakura hadn't agreed to anything, she couldn't help but say, "If any of your members come across either of them, I want them delivered to Konoha."

He seemed to think about this for a second, then nodded. "Would you like Orochimaru's corpse?"

Her eyes narrowed. "I want him alive." Sakura would do that herself.

He nodded again. Then he slid the document to her. Knowing that he was paraphrasing as he wrote, Sakura reread every line carefully, examining how it could be represented.

She's done this before and she knows what to look for. After a moment Sakura concludes that all that is written is exactly as he told her. What she would agree too and what would be promised to her.

Sakura looked up, "What happens when the year is up?"

"You will be taken back to Konoha.

"Just like that?" Sakura repeats. How can it possibly be this simple?

"Just like that." He repeats again, a ghost of a smile on his face for the smallest second.

"You're missing criminals. You don't think that in that year, I'll figure out secrets?"

"We don't have secretes." He said, "We have plans, but even some of our own members don't fully know it, and they function just fine. So will you. Besides, small precautions will be taken with you."

"I will not stay locked up in a room." Sakura can already see herself chained up in a dungeon. Taken out whenever she's needed, trays of food pushed through a slot in the door.

"Of course not. You will be able to roam the compound freely, though a member will accompany you for any reason that you may have to leave. We aren't doing each other favors. You have your purpose and you will earn your keep." His tone was still calm and perfectly cool.

"So at the end of the year I'll return to Konoha?"

"You're free to do as you will. You may even go after Sasuke if you like." Pein said with a shrug.

Sakura stayed quite, the offer tempting, watching as he pulled back the document, writing in what was spoken. He slid it back to her when he was done.

"You don't have to decide now; Zetsu will take you back to your room."

The plant man stood outside by the door. Sakura looked over her shoulder at him. She moved to get up.

"Take the scroll." He advised her "Read though it Think it over."

Sakura tentatively rolled it up and held it firmly. She sent him one more warily look, which he calmly took. She stepped out, the plant-man looking up.

"Did you agree?" He asked curiously.

"I don't know yet." Sakura admitted to him.

He nodded, and then said honestly, "You will be treated well here." He turned leading her back the way they came. **"Unless you piss someone off."**

While Sakura wasn't surprised by his oddness now, she was still confused by it. Keeping her distance, she quietly followed him back.

With white knuckles she clutched the contract.

* * *

"So what? She's like ten, un?" Deidara asked, biting a chunk of chicken off the skewer.

"No. She's like twelve." Kisame said reaching for his 11th skewer. Or maybe she was thirteen, something like that.

Kisame glanced over the mini mountain of yakitori that sat on a platter in the center of the table. He was glad Deidara had waited till Kakuzu and Hidan left to bring theses out. Biting off two pieces of barbecued chicken at once, Kisame still reached for two more skewers to place on his plate.

"She's fourteen." Itachi corrected, sending a admonishing glancing at Kisame. "In a week or so, anyway. You read her file countless times during the past month. Sasori-san, will you please pass the tare sauce?"

Kisame shrugged while Sasori handed the little bottle to Itachi. Like it mattered. Two years didn't make any difference. Kisame grabbed the bottle of shochu. Sasori held out his glass to Kisame. He filled it to the brim, and then Kisame filled his own cup. Out of the corner of his eye Kisame watched as Sasori took a drink.

Sasori confused him. Wasn't he…? Kisame was pretty sure he didn't have a digestive system. Yet…

Sasori finished his third skewer and went for a fourth.

Kisame glanced away. He was much too polite to ask. Besides, he figured, it was probably best not to think about it.

It was a trivial thing after all. Because apparently, as Kisame had witness many times, Sasori _did_ consume food. Yet it made him wonder about other things. Like if Sasori had the five senses. He knew he had taste, because Sasori could be very picky. So maybe Sasori just ate for pleasure, rather than necessity. So he must perform other physical things for pleasu---

Eww. _Not_ thinking about this anymore. Quick! Before the images appear!

Kisame took two skewers in each hand and attacked, his teeth chomping down.

"Kisame-san, slow down." Itachi chided, sending a glance at him as he sipped his tea.

"You sound like his mom, un." Deidara quipped, sending a smirk at Itachi.

Kisame sent a toothy grin at both boys. He instantly saw an image of Itachi bring home food and telling a five-year-old Kisame not to fight or have any fun.

Wait a minute…

"You _are _like my mom!" Kisame cried out in revelation before he thought it through.

There was a moment of silence were the words hung in the air.

Then Deidara busted into barks of laughter. He full out fell off his futon and Kisame watched over the low table as he rolled and clutched his stomach. Even Sasori was leaning forward, shoulders shaking; his eyes squinted as he looked between Kisame and Itachi.

Kisame glanced between the laughing men and Itachi, who was very still and staring straight in front of him. Maybe he should try to save this.

It wasn't meant to be an insult… It was just that Itachi's caution and avoidance of violence made Kisame think of what a mother would have been like.

Despite that, Kisame did try to salvage Itachi's dignity. "Uh, I mean… I mean in a manly way." He failed.

Deidara let out another boisterous bout of laugher. Sasori actually placed both hands on the table as he doubled over, his quite laugh finally reaching deeper than a mere chuckle.

Itachi didn't acknowledge Deidara. Or Sasori. Or even Kisame for that matter. He simply reached out for the platter which still had a quarter of the skewers left and took it.

"Hey!" Deidara shouted, but was still gasping for breath. Itachi was already half-way down the hall. Angrily, Deidara pulled himself up and shouted, hoping Itachi would hear him. "Nah, it's probably best you aren't a part of his family, Kisame. He would have killed you already!"

Kisame rolled his eyes, knowing Itachi wouldn't be fazed by the insult. He had to smile at Deidara for trying. Few people were brave enough, _and_ stupid enough to do that. It always took a combination of both to want to piss Itachi off.

"Well, way to go, Kisame, you lost us dinner." Deidara muttered, picking at his teeth with his last skewer. "You owe me yakitori, un."

"You're the one that was messing with him in the first place." Kisame reminded with a light smile, pouring himself some more shochu.

Deidara rolled his eyes and let out an annoyed sigh, "He's such a _tool_, I mean--"

Whether Sasori purposely cut off Deidara's growing rant, knowing it could go on forever, or the words merely fell out, Kisame wasn't sure. "She's pretty."

Deidara pushed himself on his elbows, and Kisame looked over to see Sasori holding a picture. The folder it came from was previously forgotten on the table.

"Huh? Oh, the girl, un." Deidara pulled himself up into a cross-legged position, and leaned one elbow on the table cradling his cheek. He raised a skeptic brow, "Yeah, she's cute I guess, un. Maybe in a couple years she'll be a babe."

Kisame let out a snort, "You're the closes one to her age."

"I'm eighteen." Deidara said with a slight glare. As if it was absolutely ridiculous that Kisame could even fathom comparing him to a fourteen-year-old. Whatever, he always thought of Deidara as a winy teenager anyway.

"What's going to happen once we're done with her?" Sasori asked, his eyes intently focused on the picture.

"I don't know, un." Deidara murmured completely disinterested. "I'm still hungry…" He complained. "…Stupid Itachi."

Sasori glanced at Kisame. He shrugged, cleaning off a skewer. Honestly, he was trying not to think about it. Every time he did, Kisame felt... almost disappointed.

"Hmm." Sasori finally let out, placing the picture back on the table.

It was her official Chuunin picture. Kisame's eyes went straight to it. Pink hair, heart shaped face, wide forehead, big green eyes, pale skin. She really was just a kid.

Kisame suppressed a sigh. All he could really do now was hope she'd still be alive when they were done with her.

* * *

.To Be Continued.

* * *

A/N – Heh… Hi, guys. *sheepish smile* Been awhile.

I'm not too pleased with this, more was suppose to happen. Gah, but I got stuck. I decided that I'd just push it to the next chapter and upload this. Shortened the chapter, but I figured you guys wouldn't mind too much.

As always, if anything didn't make sense, or you just didn't like something (and why you didn't), let me know. I may be able to do something about it.

Anyway I hope you guys enjoyed it. Thanks to every single reviewer, you guys make my day.


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